KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The economy is down but sales of specialty license plates benefiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park continue to rise.

The Friends of the Smokies group said Monday that tags sold in Tennessee and North Carolina raised $832,159 in 2008 for park programs, up from $786,802 a year ago.

Tennessee plates account for nearly two-thirds of the total, although Tennessee sales were down about 10 percent in 2008 while North Carolina sales rose almost 40 percent. The Tennessee plate has been sold since 1998 and remains one of the state's most popular. The North Carolina plate has been sold since 1999.

Together they have raised more than $5.4 million for the park. In 2008, the money supported black bear conservation, backcountry safety, air quality research, hemlock protection and educational programs.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)