Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users

The Nantahala River in the Nantahala Gorge is now open to the public for all uses for the first time…
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Fear of collapse causes shelter closure
 

Fear of collapse causes shelter closure

A beloved shelter on the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain is closed until further notice due to structural damage. 
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Taylor to retire from Mainspring

After 18 years with Mainspring Conservation Trust and five years as its leader, Sharon Fouts Taylor will retire on Feb.…
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Outdoor economy efforts wins WCU award nomination

An outdoor economy initiative at Western Carolina University has been selected as a finalist in the University Economic Development Association’s…
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Race to honor UNC Charlotte hero: Mighty Four Miler will raise money for Riley Howell Foundation Fund

Hometown hero Riley Howell’s legacy will live on in the form a 4-mile race through the streets of the town…
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Smokies species count reaches 20,000

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reached a biodiversity milestone with the discovery and documentation of 20,000 species of…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Santee surprise

During our annual summer beach trip to Isle of Palms, I often manage to sneak away one morning to visit…
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The fungi forager: Franklin man develops a passion for wild mushrooms

Beneath the woodsy world of tree trunks, ferns and leaf litter is another, hidden realm. It’s the world of fungi,…
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Schooled in ag: School gives students a hands-on education

With a new school year just begun, the 300 students who participate in Waynesville Middle School’s robust agriculture program now…
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The untold story: Smokies seeks to showcase history of African-Americans in the park

Many plotlines weave through the story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but if the park were a book,…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Could the environment be, once again, a game changer?

I ran into a fellow at Ingles just the other day. Regrettably, I don’t remember his name, but I run…
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HCC student places in national competition

A Haywood Community College student recently took fourth in a national timbersports competition held in Wisconsin. 
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Man dies at Deep Creek
 

Man dies at Deep Creek

A Georgia man was pronounced dead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Thursday, Aug. 22, following a cardiac…
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Working the watershed: Forest Stewards lays out plans for Waynesville watershed’s future

Nearly four decades ago, vast swathes of the 8,600-acre Waynesville watershed were laid bare, the trees timbered for profit and…
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Cradle Association gets new director
 

Cradle Association gets new director

The Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association has a new executive director in Natalie Britt.
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Man dies following cardiac event in park
 

Man dies following cardiac event in park

A man died in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week following a cardiac event near the Greenbrier Ranger…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Speak up

If you want the opportunity to have knowledge about and input on actions, policies and/or decisions affecting property you own,…
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New WNC trail wins national award
 

New WNC trail wins national award

Weed Patch Mountain Trail, which opened last year in the town of Lake Lure, has been recognized as one of…
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A new state park: Funding and opening Pisgah View State Park will be years-long process

A new state park has been created in Buncombe and Haywood counties following Gov. Roy Cooper’s signature on a state…
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Girl Scouts complete Smokies service

A group of Girl Scouts recently completed 80 hours of service in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part…
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Rainstorm causes death in the Smokies

Extremely heavy rainfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park caused rockslides, downed trees, flash flooding and a fatality on…
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Man found alive after four days lost in the Smokies

After spending four nights lost in the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, searchers found 58-year-old Kevin Mark…
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The Naturalist's Corner: “There is a singer everyone has heard…”

Robert Frost names that singer in the title of his 1916 sonnet “The Oven Bird.”  The ovenbird is a large…
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Deadly bat disease spreads to more N.C. counties

There’s more bad news for bats following winter surveys that detected the deadly-to-bats white nose syndrome in four new counties…
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Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death
 

Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death

Investigators with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of David…
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Floral delight: Native plants expert leads Parkway tour in search of rare species

“When we get out, we’re going to walk across the street and I’m going to show you the most sacred…
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HCC wildlife club wins award

The Haywood Community College Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society recently received the Forrest E. Jarrett Wildlife Conservation Award, an…
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Smokies Stomp raises $84K for national park needs

The second annual Smokies Stomp Barn Party raised more than $84,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year,…
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New members appointed to Wildlife Commission
 

New members appointed to Wildlife Commission

Three new commissioners have been added to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and a new chairman and vice chairman elected…
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Help feed the hungry
 

Help feed the hungry

Haywood Gleaners is looking for a co-field glean coordinator to assist in its efforts to feed the hungry with fresh…
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Junaluska golf course turns 100

The Lake Junaluska golf course turns 100 on July 24, and in honor of the anniversary golfers will be able…
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Dreams on the water: Bryson City paddler, age 15, wows international audience

On Friday, June 21, a 15-year-old girl from Bryson City took her place in the water for the first heat…
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Man dies following car accident near Clingmans Dome
 

Man dies following car accident near Clingmans Dome

Cherokee emergency responders were among those who answered the call following a fatal vehicle accident on Clingmans Dome Road in…
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Wilderness therapy provider joins chamber
 

Wilderness therapy provider joins chamber

A wilderness therapy business that launched locally in May 2018 is now a member of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. 
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Trailhead expansion complete near Mount Mitchell
 

Trailhead expansion complete near Mount Mitchell

The South Toe Trailhead parking area across from Black Mountain Campground in the Pisgah National Forest has been reopened now…
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Worth protecting: Conservation organizations partner to preserve Parkway lands

Born in the upstairs of the Post Office building his mom ran in Crabtree, Robert Williams, now 87, has always…
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Progress continues on clean air in WNC: State looks to accelerate shift to renewable energy

In an era when most environment-related news carries a hue of doom and gloom, the saga of air quality trends…
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Pollinator garden opens

A new pollinator garden has been completed in the Waynesville Recreation Park. 
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Program doubles SNAP benefits at Asheville farmers markets
 

Program doubles SNAP benefits at Asheville farmers markets

A new Double SNAP program is now available at Asheville City Market, offered through the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. 
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The Naturalist's Corner: Buteo jamaicensis

A red-tail by any other name and there are several “named” red-tails. But I dare say for we sons and…
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Adopt-A-Stream turns 10

The Adopt-A-Stream program in Haywood County turned 10 this year, with 1,600 volunteers spending 4,000 hours removing more than 27…
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Rare shrub seeds for sale
 

Rare shrub seeds for sale

Alarka Institute in Cowee is now selling seeds from the Franklinia, one of the rarest shrubs in the world.
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Parkway paving planned for 2019
 

Parkway paving planned for 2019

More than 115 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway will be resurfaced this year as part of a pavement preservation…
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Better access to Bartram Trail

A relatively new trailhead now has a brand new parking lot that’s sure to make accessing the Bartram Trail in…
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Record-setting wild turkey harvest
 

Record-setting wild turkey harvest

Results from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s wild turkey harvest summary show this year’s harvest was the second highest ever…
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Longtime Mainspring board member retires

Longtime Mainspring Conservation Trust board member Richard Clark has retired from the board. 
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Nantahala District ranger to retire

After 29 years at the helm of the Nantahala District of the Nantahala National Forest, District Ranger Mike Wilkins is…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Windy City peregrines

My bride and I spent a few days in Chicago last week. She was there for a business seminar and…
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Lumberjack ‘family’ to get a home: Construction underway on new HCC timbersports building

After more than 20 years of wood chopping and log sawing and award winning, the Haywood Community College Lumberjacks —…
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Law changes appointment structure for Clean Water board

Gov. Roy Cooper has signed into law a bill that reconstitutes several boards and commissions that the court previously held…
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