Blue Ridge Parkway bridge nears completion

The new Blue Ridge Parkway bridge over Interstate 26 in Asheville is now just 3 feet from connecting, but several…
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Adopt a trail section

The Benton MacKaye Trail Association is looking for volunteers to adopt six trail sections in North Carolina, taking ownership of…
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Hike Laurel Knob

Take a Leap Day hike to Laurel Knob at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, in Panthertown Valley. 
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Become a water quality watcher

Help keep tabs on water quality in Western North Carolina by joining the Volunteer Water Information Network. 
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Haywood hires new rec director

Haywood County has a new recreation director with the appointment of Elizabeth “Elli” Flagg, who started her new job Feb.…
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Fly tying retreat coming to Maggie

Learn to tie flies with the best during the Fly Tyers Retreat 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2,…
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Prescribed fires planned for Cherokee National Forest

A slate of prescribed fires is planned through the end of May on the Cherokee National Forest in southeastern Tennessee,…
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Help wildlife on Tax Day

When filing a state tax return this year, North Carolina workers can support research and conservation management projects by donating…
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Tobacco Trust money flows to WNC

The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has awarded more than $6.1 million in 30 grants, including more than $400,000 targeted…
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Avian flu found in Lenoir County

For the first time since 2022, High Path Avian Influenza has been found in North Carolina. 
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Van Horns honored for hiking club legacy

In recognition of the outsize impact that longtime members Bill and Sharon Van Horn have had on the organization, the…
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Celebrate water quality in style
 

Celebrate water quality in style

The 16th annual Hiwassee Watershed Gala will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, at the Charles Suber Banquet…
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Grants available for high school outdoor clubs
 

Grants available for high school outdoor clubs

A limited number of high schools will be awarded a $10,000 grant to develop a Trailblazers Outdoor Club for the…
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Feeling the forest: Forest therapy offers opportunity for restoration

With my eyes closed, I can’t see the patchwork of brown leaves and fallen twigs covering the forest floor before…
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Greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall in N.C., report finds

Net emissions of greenhouse gases have fallen 38% between 2005 and 2020 in North Carolina, according to the latest update…
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New program aims to protect farmland as older farmers age out

Nearly 300 million acres of American farmland is expected to change hands over the next 20 years, and a new…
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Bat conservation plan out for public comment

A draft conservation plan for the federally endangered Virginia big-eared bat is out for public comment through March 1. 
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Fish hatchery planning process moves forward

The U.S. Forest Service has completed its review of proposed renovations at the Bobby N. Setzer Fish Hatchery in the…
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Plant trees at Tessentee

Help transform an old cattle pasture into a wildlife haven 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 24, at Tessentee Bottomland…
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Start seeds with confidence
 

Start seeds with confidence

Learn how to grow plants from seed with a program slated for 9:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Haywood…
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Documentary starring Haywood SAR Team now online

“Safe and Found,” a documentary featuring the Haywood County Search and Rescue Team, is now available to stream online after…
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Get ready for Base Camp

Parent interest meetings for Basecamp Summer Camp in Waynesville will be held nightly at 6 p.m. Feb. 14-16 at the…
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Explore Fontana Dam

Take an easy 5-mile hike along Lakeshore Trail at Fontana Dam Thursday, Feb. 22, with the Partners of Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock…
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Go birding

Catch a sight of migratory birds at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Lake Junaluska. 
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Talk trout at BearWaters

Justin Pilat of Tuckaseegee Fly Shop will discuss the shop, waters they fish and hosted travel trips at 6 p.m.…
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Conservation groups file suit over Plateau timber project

In a newly filed lawsuit, a coalition of conservation organizations is alleging that a controversial U.S. Forest Service logging project…
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Endangered Species Act decisions reached for hellbender, green salamander

The eastern hellbender does not deserve listing under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided,…
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GSMA announces name change

After completing its 70th year supporting preservation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains Association has…
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SNAP customers to have more choices at WNC farmers markets

Over the next three years, 40 sites across Western North Carolina are expected to be part of the WNC Double…
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Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

Birders and bird lovers worldwide are encouraged to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 16-19, with several local…
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N.C. declared drought-free

For the first time since August, North Carolina is now drought-free. Some areas of Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon and Dare…
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Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation appoints new board members

New board officers, trustees and advisors have been appointed to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which partners with the National…
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Buy plants, support horticulture education

The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Plant Sale is now underway, with orders due pre-paid by Friday, March 8. 
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Paddle the Glacier Breaker

Start off the year with an early-season slalom race Saturday, Feb. 17, on the Nantahala River at the Nantahala Outdoor…
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Sign up for volleyball clinics

Registration is open for youth volleyball clinics slated to begin the week of March 11 at the Cullowhee Recreation Center…
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Join the Sylva Naturalist Club

The Sylva Naturalist Club will meet 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 
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Wander through winter

Experience the backcountry during wintertime with a pair of hikes offered over the next week with Haywood Recreation and Parks. 
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State parks to standardize camping check-in times

Camping check-in times will be standardized throughout N.C. State Parks starting June 15. 
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Wildlife advocates eligible for award
 

Wildlife advocates eligible for award

Nominations are wanted for people who have led the way in conserving nongame animals in North Carolina. 
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Allens Creek Park reopens
 

Allens Creek Park reopens

After being closed for cleanup since Jan. 11, Allens Creek Park in Waynesville is open again. 
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Ecological opportunity: Ela Dam owner asks to let go of its hydropower license

The owner of Ela Dam, a 99-year-old structure that sits about half a mile above the confluence of the Tuckasegee…
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Parkway visitation grows in 2023

In 2023, the Blue Ridge Parkway saw its highest visitation since 2007, according to preliminary figures from the National Park…
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Calling all forest landowners

A forest landowner workshop coming 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Haywood Agricultural Center in Waynesville…
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Land trust surpasses 70,000 acres of permanent conservation

The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina has now permanently protected more than 70,000 acres in the South Mountains after a…
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Learn now to recycle better

Up your recycling know-how during a program at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the University of North Carolina Asheville’s…
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Go coon hunting in Sylva

Spend the weekend focused on coon hunting with the Jackson County Coon Hound Association Friday, Feb. 2, and Saturday, Feb.…
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Do doggy first aid in the backcountry

Learn what to do when your dog gets hurt on the trail with a workshop offered 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb.…
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Take ‘The Plunge’

The 12th annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Environmental Education will take place 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.…
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Ready, set, grow

Prepare for gardening season with “Learn to Grow: Vegetable Gardening,” a workshop offered 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb.…
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Prune like a pro

Learn how to give your fruit trees some love with a workshop starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at…
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