Excellent Article … and not that far from this Oregonian Transplant    

One of my favorite memories of having grafted at the Home Orchard Society Spring Events was the year several Oregon State Park rangers shown up to have me reproduce from saved scions several apple ..and perhaps a pear variety from the Smith Homestead along Hwy. 6.  We’d corresponded for months regarding when & how to procure the scion wood.  Several of the Rangers, in full uniform, had me also graft an additional set of trees for themselves.  They assured me, the original site would be protected and the young trees cared for.  

Over here, in SW VA.. I’m very near the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as mountain homesteads similar to the Great Smoky Mountains.  Noticing a neglected apple tree near the parkway, I ‘was caught’ taking scions by the property owner..  Told him I assumed the tree was a seedling, being alongside the road.  “That road wasn’t here when that tree was planted,” further describing it as part of a school-yard orchard for a long gone community..  My grafts are doing great, and I’d love to have them ‘genetically tested’ for a known variety as they remain a mystery to me.

Glad to see the Smoky Mt. orchard cleaned up.  Around here, in the high elevation rural areas, Black Bear will happily, if nearly destroy apple orchards..  But no doubt on ‘standard,’ or full-sized rootstock, and over a hundred years old ..those trees can likely withstand their foraging

They are getting more sophisticated aren't they?

kennanna and hannana each make 1st time post in different threads.  Each quote another poster which most of our users aren't sophisticated enough to do with this forum.

Each include some context that is actually relevant.

And neither include any external links (aside from the one that is quoted and it is in fact the same link as OP posted).