Smokies bridge projects will require road closures

Work has begun to replace seven bridges in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and repair seven others, improvements made…
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Seasonal burns begin at Cades Cove

Approximately 689 acres of fields in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be burned…
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Grant will support bear-safe camping in the Smokies

A $4,000 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will help the Great Smoky Mountains National Park practice proactive bear management…
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Moment to shine: Outdoor economy conference focuses on widening the base

In the wake of COVID-19, 2020 has been a banner year for the outdoor recreation economy, and throughout the month…
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Trump administration criticized for implementation of landmark conservation law

Environmental groups are decrying the Trump Administration’s execution of the Great American Outdoors Act and the Dingell Act, which permanently…
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Smokies search and rescue gets a boost

Friends of the Smokies and its supporters have raised $89,000 this year to fund search and rescue efforts in the…
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Virtual race raised $70K for the Smokies

The fourth annual Cades Cove Loop Lope has raised $70,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park despite having to…
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Pisgah plans prescribed burns

The Pisgah National Forest plans to conduct prescribed burns in multiple areas of the forest this week.
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Man dies following fall from Smokies overlook

An Alabama man is dead following a fall from an overlook in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Volunteer to build community outdoors

Outdoor Mission Community, formerly known as Outdoor Mission Camp, is seeking volunteers to aid in trip planning, leadership, skills certifications…
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Use caution during wildfire season

Fall wildfire season is underway in North Carolina, and the N.C. Forest Service together with the U.S. Forest Service is…
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Exhibit re-imagines Bartram’s art

An exhibit featuring the work of more than a dozen regional and local artists who have rendered William Bartram’s 18th…
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Deadly rabbit disease could spread to N.C.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking for help to monitor the spread of a deadly rabbit disease known as…
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Help hellbenders

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to hear about hellbender sightings, part of agency biologists’ ongoing effort to learn more…
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Storm impacts Panthertown access

Hurricane Zeta has washed out a significant portion of a road used to access the Salt Rock Gap Trailhead at…
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Congressmen push for red wolf conservation

An Oct. 27 letter signed by 24 Democratic U.S. Congressmen is asking federal agencies to take urgent action on behalf…
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Cleanest air on record: Pandemic accelerates long-term move toward cleaner air in N.C.

When President Richard Nixon ‘s signature on the Clean Air Act of 1970 prompted North Carolina to create its Division…
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Middle school students collect data for space exploration

Usually, the K-8 Trailblazers group at Mountain Discovery Charter School in Bryson City can be found venturing out to trails…
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N.C. launches climate resiliency program

North Carolina has launched a new initiative to help the state prepare for the impacts of climate change while reducing…
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Melonas named new head of N.C. national forests

Allen Nicholas retired in September after nearly five years in charge of North Carolina’s national forests, and James Melonas will…
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Smokies seeks solutions to overcrowding

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has gotten a lot busier since its creation in 1931. In 1932, its first…
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Missing Knox County man found safe in park

Search and Rescue Team members in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park found missing hiker Fred Braden Jr. last night…
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Rescue crews answer the call

Picture-perfect fall weather drew countless numbers of people to embark on outdoor adventures during the month of October, but some…
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Conservation purchase complete in Burke County

The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina has purchased 322 acres in Burke County, completing the second and final stage of…
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Waynesville rec department earns national distinction

After seven years spent laying the groundwork, the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded an honor that Director…
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1,500 pounds of trash hauled from Haywood waters

Fifty people participated in the Big Sweep trash cleanup Haywood Waterways Association hosted Sept. 19, removing 1,500 pounds of trash…
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Knox County man missing in the Smokies

A Knox County man was reported missing yesterday after day hiking alone on the Middle Prong Trail in the Tremont…
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Pandemic multiplies demand, complicates operations for outdoor businesses

As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues, people worldwide are rediscovering the outdoors in a big way — leading to record visitation…
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WCU professor releases outdoor instruction book

Western Carolina University Professor Emeritus Maurice Phipps has released a new book aimed at people who are working or training…
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Sign up for nature-based learning

A new subscription-based program from the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont aims to connect families through nature-based activities and…
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Hike series to feature discussions about racism, diversity

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash will lead a series of small-group hikes through the park with the…
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Grant will fund ag center for Swain

The N.C Tobacco Trust Fund has awarded $1.5 million in grants this year, and one of the 15 applications granted…
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National parks visitation explodes in WNC

For Western North Carolinians who see the outdoors as a safe haven when life gets hard, perhaps the most distressing…
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Haywood water among state’s cleanest

Haywood County water treatment plants received top honors among the 55 plants honored statewide with the N.C. Area Wide Optimization…
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Kephart’s writings compiled in new book

Several years of research, compilation and collaboration by two writers from Western Carolina University have resulted in a scholarly book…
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Two new lifeguard instructors certified in Waynesville

Two lifeguards at the Waynesville Recreation Center have been officially certified as American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructors.
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Clay shooting tourney raises money for the Smokies

Friends of the Smokies raised $53,000 to support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the second annual Smokies Cup,…
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Woman dies in Cades Cove due to cardiac distress

A visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park died Tuesday, Sept. 29, following a cardiac event in Cades Cove. 
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Virtual book club will explore climate change solutions

A virtual book club through the Highlands Biological Foundation this fall will cover the book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan…
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Join the Bucket Brigade

The Bucket Brigade is looking for people who are tired of passing by the same trash each day and want…
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Full house: Photo prompts concern about conditions at Max Patch

Mike Wurman visited Max Patch for the first time in May 2014, and the experience changed his life.  Wurman, an…
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Delayed Harvest regulations begin

Delayed Harvest Trout Water restrictions will take effect in North Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 1.
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Jackson County Farmers Market celebrates 20 years

Back in the 1990s, Karen and Johnny White were in a nomadic phase of life, spending several months traveling the…
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Retired Wildlife Resources director wins lifetime achievement award

Gordon Meyers, retired executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, has received the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’…
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PARI named International Dark Sky Park

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Transylvania County has been awarded the prestigious designation of International Dark Sky Park, recognizing…
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Research shows parks are important to Americans

A recently released report from the National Recreation and Park Association shows that most U.S. adults — 82 percent of them…
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Smokies investigates racially charged vandalism on Foothills Parkway

Racially charged vandalism in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has prompted an investigation searching for those responsible. 
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Waynesville rec opens additional facilities

The Waynesville Recreation Center and Old Armory will reopene for additional activities at 30 percent capacity at 7 a.m. Tuesday,…
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Jackson rec announce reopening plans

The Jackson County Recreation Centers in Cullowhee and Cashiers will reopen on Monday, Sept. 14, but with significant operational changes. 
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Mild fall color display predicted for WNC

The fall color forecast is looking dim for 2020, according to the annual prognostication offered by Western Carolina University biology…
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