Judge blocks wolf protection rollback
A federal judge found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental…
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Jackson gets new interpretive signs
Four new wayside signs have appeared at the Jackson County Greenway, East LaPorte Park and South Painter Park, thanks to…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Eye on the lake
Lake Junaluska is an amazing resource. It is home to the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, the World Methodist…
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New trail project announced
A two-year effort to rehabilitate Rainbow Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now complete, and the…
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Fallen rock causes Parkway closure near Asheville
Tanbark Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed until further notice after pieces of the tunnel’s natural rock ceiling…
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WCU recognized as a green college
For the eighth year running, Western Carolina University has been named one of North America’s most environmentally responsible colleges by…
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Key land conserved in Roan Highlands
A 324-acre property in the Highlands of Roan is now in public ownership thanks to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
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Power line to be removed at Mt. Sterling
Duke Energy is working on its final phase of a solar project at Mount Sterling, removing utility poles and overhead…
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Coyote interactions more frequent in the fall
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is forecasting that coyote sightings will be more frequent in the state over the next…
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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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Farm Bill still not reauthorized
The 2014 Farm Bill expired at midnight Sept. 30, and Congress has thus far failed to reauthorize a new five-year…
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Slopes open at Cataloochee
Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the first time this season on Sunday, Nov. 11.
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Parking and lighting to increase at arboretum
A $905,000 grant from the Buncombe County Tourism Development authority will make it possible for the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville…
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Art raises cash for the Parkway
An art-focused fundraising event raised more than $40,000 for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation last month, allowing for education and…
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Activists fast for climate awareness
A group of climate activists based in Asheville is nearly finished a 10-day Thanksgiving fast aimed at bringing attention to…
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Rainbow Falls rehab concludes
After two years of work, the new and improved Rainbow Falls Trail is open for business following a Nov. 14…
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Mount Mitchell gets new leader
Veteran ranger Kevin Bischof has been named to the superintendent’s post at Mount Mitchell State Park in Yancey County.
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Bear injures Haywood County man
A Haywood County man has become the second person to be attacked by a black bear in Western North Carolina…
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Going for the three-peat: Franklin outdoor store opens two new locations in 2018
When Rob Gasbarro and Cory McCall met in 2008, their friendship formed around hiking and biking the mountains surrounding Franklin,…
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Deer carcass import restrictions enacted
A new wildlife rule has been implemented in North Carolina prohibiting the importation of whole deer carcasses and restricting importation…
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Sweet potato pest causes N.C. quarantine
A statewide quarantine is in effect for the Guava root nematode, a serious pest of sweet potatoes that also affects…
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New Foothills Parkway section to open
A long-awaited section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley in Tennessee will officially open on Saturday, Nov.…
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Smokies trails reopen after 2016 wildfires
For the first time since wildfires ravaged the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in fall 2016, the Bull Head and…
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Walk the ‘Missing Link’ of the Foothills Parkway
A celebration of the completed Foothills Parkway section known as the “Missing Link” will be held Thursday, Nov. 8, with…
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Haywood agricultural leader awarded state’s highest honor
Longtime Haywood County farmer and agricultural community leader Bill Yarborough has been recognized with the highest honor the state has…
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N.C. governor signs climate change order
Gov. Roy Cooper has signed an executive order directed at “North Carolina’s commitment to fight climate change and lead transition…
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Bote Mountain Trail partially reopen
A 2.9-mile section of the Bote Mountain Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now open to hikers…
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Making tracks: Kids trails program earns recognition after decade of growth
In 2008, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation launched a new program aiming to get kids and families out exploring the…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Flashback
It wasn’t long after we crossed the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, headed west into Louisiana, that we began to see…
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New website for state trails
A new N.C. Trails website has launched, providing a hub for the N.C. Trails Program and offering quick and easy…
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Bringing kids to the single-track: Plan in the works for children’s mountain bike trail in Jackson
If a partnership between Jackson County and the Nantahala Area Southern Off Road Bicycle Association comes to fruition, kids in…
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Fall color will likely be dimmer than normal
Autumnal vibrancy will depend on weather conditions over the next few weeks, according to Western Carolina University’s fall color soothsayer.
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Live animal programs offered for schools
Schools and other educational organizations in Western North Carolina have the opportunity to bring wildlife education programs to their home…
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Emerald ash borer found in Jackson County
The emerald ash borer has been found in Jackson County for the first time, making Jackson the 37th county in…
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Outdoor gear industry to expand in WNC
The outdoor gear industry in Western North Carolina is expected to take off in the coming years thanks to a…
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New species discoveries in the Smokies total 1,000
The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory has reached a major milestone with the announcement that it’s added 1,000 new species to…
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Canton student part of record-setting livestock sale
Canton resident Caleb Henson was part of a class of N.C. State Fair junior livestock show winners that drew a…
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Sewage spill causes halt to water recreation
A sewage spill occurred in Haywood County Oct. 15 when a septic tank pump truck became involved in an accident…
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Uniquely positioned: Grant aims to grow outdoor gear industry in WNC
An effort is underway to make North Carolina’s 24 western counties into the next outdoor gear industry hub, and the…
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Signs the Chinese are very good hoaxers
I’m sure many can remember what President Donald J. Trump, a legend in his own mind, has had to say…
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Birder honored for volunteerism
Tom Tribble, president of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville, has been named Audubon North Carolina’s 2018 Volunteer of…
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Stream cleanup nets a ton of trash
A countywide stream cleanup held Sept. 22 in Haywood County removed 2,205 pounds of trash from area waterways thanks to…
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New Smokies magazine released
The Great Smoky Mountains Association has released a new issue of its award-winning Smokies Life magazine.
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Friends of the Smokies gets bear management grant
Proactive bear management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a boost thanks to a $4,000 grant Friends of…
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Mainspring to solve minnow mystery
Mainspring Conservation Trust is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Authority in a study to better understand what triggers thousands of…
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Canoe Slalom a success
More than 50 people competed in the ninth annual Cullowhee Canoe Slalom Sept. 22, raising more than $300 for the…
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Climate change – deadly serious
The last installment of “The Naturalist’s Corner” began kind of tongue-in-cheek, referring to climate change in Trumpian terms of a…
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Planting for pollinators: Waynesville couple seeks to educate on the benefits of native bees
Brannen Basham spends more time puttering around the yard than the average homeowner, but the result is not what most…
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New signs at Joyce Kilmer
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest now has a new trailhead map, replacing a sign that was previously stolen.
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New Blue Ridge Parkway Association director hired
The Blue Ridge Parkway Association has hired Frederick “Tubby” Kubik as its new executive director, replacing previous director Tom Hardy,…
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