Archived Opinion

Smokies benefit from license plate sales

License plate sales raised nearly $815,000 to support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year, with the grand total rising to $13.3 million since the program launched in 1999.

The Friends of the Smokies plates are available in North Carolina and Tennessee, allowing drivers to sport plates celebrating the beauty of America’s most-visited national park while also contributing to protect its natural and cultural resources. Friends of the Smokies works with park officials to identify park projects in need of funding and then contributes the dollars to accomplish those goals. 

A new plate design is in the works for Tennessee, with voting on the potential designs open through Dec. 31 at www.friendsofthesmokies.org

The plates cost $30 in North Carolina and $35 in Tennessee and can be purchased independent of plate expiration dates.

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