Becoming a trail town: Sylva embraces the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
White dots will soon pepper the sidewalks of downtown Sylva as the town sets out to claim its identity as…
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Brownfield lands a beehive
A restored brownfield property in Franklin is now home to a hive of Carniolan honeybees.
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Water quality projects receive Pigeon River Fund grants
Environmental groups working to improve water quality, aquatic habitat and recreational access recently saw $182,000 in grants from the Pigeon…
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WNC water plants honored for extra-clean water
The N.C. Division of Water Resources has honored 49 water treatment plants statewide for surpassing federal and state drinking water…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Escargot — no
There was much concern regarding the noonday globe snail, Petera clarkia nantahala, after the Tellico Fire burned through the Nantahala…
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Whitewater Falls to reopen
The Whitewater Falls viewing area is on track to reopen by July 4 after being closed since wildfire destroyed it…
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A magical thing: Retiring Parkway superintendent reflects on 37 years with the Park Service
Mark Woods will retire as superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway on July 3, but on July 4 he’ll don…
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Land purchase protects crown jewel of the A.T.
Views from the breathtaking Hump Mountain in the Roan Highlands are now protected thanks to a 324-acre purchase the Southern…
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Rec access to expand on the Chattooga
A plan to make recreational access to the Chattooga River ecologically sustainable calls for construction of three kayak launch sites,…
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Above it all: Fryingpan hike offers vast views, diverse plant life
It’s just a short walk from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Fryingpan Tower — 1.5 miles roundtrip — but in…
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NASA comes to WNC
A new nationwide outreach program will bring NASA resources to Western North Carolina, with the Fontana Regional Library selected as…
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Bear canisters required on Avery Creek
Bear-safe food storage is now mandatory within 1,000 feet of Avery Creek Road following an Emergency Food Storage Order issued…
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Study catalogues trout fishing’s economic impact
A recent study quantifying the economic impact of trout fishing showed that 149,000 trout anglers in North Carolina fished 1.6…
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Duke funds will help improve fisheries
Coldwater fisheries will get a boost thanks to a $95,000 grant that Duke Energy’s Water Resources Fund awarded to Trout…
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Help makeover Rainbow Falls
Volunteers are needed to help rehabilitate the 6-mile Rainbow Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with workdays…
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Bat populations remain low due to white-nose syndrome
Results are back from this year’s winter bat surveys in Western North Carolina, and numbers have remained low following the…
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Ash borer found in Asheville
The emerald ash borer has made it to Asheville, with its arrival to Craftsman Circle providing the first evidence of…
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Waterrock Knob planning begins
Planning is underway for the management of 5,329 acres that the Blue Ridge Parkway acquired around Waterrock Knob last year.
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New fence will protect Smokies museum garden
Elk will stay out of the crops at the Mountain Farm Museum following construction of a historically accurate fence funded…
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The Naturalist's Corner: That’s a wrap
Another spring, another season of bird points in the can. Each spring brings its own unique set of adventures, dilemmas…
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Trails that dance: Cherokee opens 10.5-mile trail system with plans to expand
The snip of a ribbon declared the destination that mountain bikers are hailing as “amazing” and “world-class” to be open…
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Invest in WNC’s great outdoors
The National Forest Foundation has named the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest as a Treasured Landscape, a designation that unlocks funding to…
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A.T. plates fund conservation
Proceeds from North Carolina Appalachian Trail license plates resulted in $30,000 worth of awards to 12 projects intended to preserve…
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Parkway superintendent to retire
Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Mark Woods has announced his retirement from the National Park Service following four years in the…
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Life on the road: Asheville couple trades stability for life of mobile adventure
Ching Fu and Jerud Crandall had professional careers and a comfortable home when they left it all behind in 2015,…
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Students fight stormwater pollution
Students from the Haywood Community Learning Center did their part to reduce stormwater runoff through a service project to mark…
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Parkway delivers $1 billion economic impact
In 2016, Blue Ridge Parkway visitors spent $979.3 million in communities near the park, supporting 15,649 jobs for a cumulative…
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Franklin greenway could expand with land purchase
A 13.9-acre land purchase in Franklin could help expand the Little Tennessee River Greenway.
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Kids plant trees for the future
A tree planting in celebration of Arbor Day was held at Hazelwood Elementary School in Waynesville, using rooted cuttings of…
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Sleuthing for salamanders: New DNA technique boosts salamander science
A new scientific tool developed at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont will allow salamander-studying scientists to trace the…
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Drought-free in N.C.
For the first time since March 2016, all 100 counties in North Carolina are free of drought or dry conditions.
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Smokies names Franklin woman employee of the year
Franklin resident Lisa Brown has been named the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Employee of the Year.
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Timber harvest has started in Harmon Den
A 96-acre timber-harvesting project is underway in the Harmon Den area of the Pisgah National Forest, in Haywood County.
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Movie documents record-breaking A.T. hike
A new movie telling the story of Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer — who broke the Appalachian Trail speed record by hiking…
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Road closed in the Pisgah
A construction project on Cathy Creek Road in the Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest will cause a…
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Habitat enhancement continues on Lake Jocassee
Now in its third year, the Keowee-Toxaway Habitat Enhancement Program funded by Duke Energy has $1.3 million in available funds,…
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Local man takes state leadership in agriculture education
A Waynesville man has been tapped to lead the state’s Project Food, Land & People program, a national education curriculum…
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Wildfires as classrooms: WCU students study fire’s effects on Dicks Creek drainage
What was once a wildfire became an outdoor classroom for students in Western Carolina University’s Natural Resource Conservation and Management…
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End in sight for Foothills Parkway
The final phase of construction is underway for the Foothills Parkway — which is administered by the Great Smoky Mountains…
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The bugs are back in to-own, the bugs are back in town
The weather hasn’t been too cooperative this spring with regards to my Forest Service bird point count. First weekend in…
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Haywood Waterways announces T-shirt design winners
Heather Grant of Bethel Middle School will see her artwork on 700 T-shirts after winning this year’s T-shirt design contest…
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Trio of trails get a makeover
Rainbow Falls Trail: The Rainbow Falls Trail is the next trail in line to get a complete rehabilitation through the Smokies…
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Trail crews get to work: Smokies crews work to improve trails and recover from storm damage
Dealing with the aftermath of two major storms while preparing for what could be another record-breaking visitor season, trail crews…
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New book revives Hazel Creek history
A new book has hit the shelves exploring the history of the Hazel Creek community, which is now one of…
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Poll shows support for conservation funding
A poll commissioned by the conservation coalition Land for Tomorrow showed wide support for land and water conservation, with mountain…
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Cherokee unveils trail system
A new 10.5-mile mixed-use trail system is complete in Cherokee, with trails open to the public following a ribbon-cutting ceremony…
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Sylva’s carnivorous plant man: After nearly 30 years and thousands of plants, carnivorous plants still fascinate
When it comes to carnivorous plants, Darwin Thomas knows what he’s talking about. It doesn’t take much to get him…
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Learning at Graveyard Fields gets a boost
New educational panels are now on display at Graveyard Fields, a popular hiking area along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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