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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A.T. hikers get a warm welcome
Thru-hiker season is just about over in Western North Carolina, with most folks who are attempting the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Even bad days can be good
This past weekend, May 6-7, was the 34th annual installment of the Great Smoky Mountains Birding Expedition (GSMBE.) The expedition…
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Voices from the trail: A.T. thru-hikers talk about trail names, motivations, and the on-trail experience
My pack was plenty heavy as I set out north on the Appalachian Trial from Carvers Gap, but with my…
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Cataloochee volunteers needed
Volunteers are needed to help rangers manage traffic and establish safe wildlife viewing areas in the Cataloochee Valley area of…
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Drought beats a retreat
Severe drought is nearly vanquished in North Carolina, with the number of counties in that designation the lowest it’s been…
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The new local food guide is here
The new Local Food Guide from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is here, including more than 800 listings of places…
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Smokies trails see status changes
Closures and openings have resulted in status changes for some trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Overwhelmed
There are bucket lists and then there are bucket lists. As parents, the bucket lists we envision for our kids…
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Mountain bikes roll into Swain High
A fleet of new mountain bikes has come home to roost at Swain County High School, thanks to a donation…
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Donation will help fire recovery
A $25,000 donation from the National Park Foundation will help the many Tennessee residents who lost their homes following the…
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Great Smoky Mountains Association gives $2 million to the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains Association had its best year every for sales and membership in 2016, allowing the organization to…
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Panthertown land purchase finalized
A 16-acre property adjacent to Panthertown Valley Backcountry Area has been conserved following Mainspring Conservation Trust’s April 21 closing on…
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Sylva passes renewable energy resolution
Sylva’s commissioners unanimously passed a resolution calling for a statewide commitment to eliminate fossil fuels during their meeting Thursday, April…
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Pedal the mountains
Western North Carolina’s rural roads have drawn their fair share of cyclists who are ready to roll. Weekly rides are…
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Spring fire season arrives: Steady rain keeps wildfire to normal levels as region recovers from historic fall blazes
When rains finally quelled the flames of 2016’s historic fall fire season, firefighters breathed sighs of relief and mountain residents…
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EPA — the Eviscerated Protection Agency
Our new denier-in-chief believes “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make…
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Clyde river park gets a facelift: Plans call for extensive tree planting, walking paths and river access
On the chilly, windy afternoon of April 7, a crew of seven people gathered to install a passel of hefty…
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Parks open for the season
Spring is here, and that means that most roads and facilities on the area’s many acres of public lands are…
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HCC wildlife students earn top award
Students from Haywood Community College came in fourth in a wildlife-centric competition during which they competed against 24 other schools.
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Smokies upgrades to cleaner fuel
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park now boasts two new propane-fueling stations and six new propane-fueled trucks following an unveiling…
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A perfect place: Walking Lake Junaluska fuels Hill’s fight against cancer
Ron and Chrissy Hill were all set for their retirement in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, having bought a house…
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Museum receives historic donation
The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians received the largest single donation it’s ever seen when Georgia resident Bob…
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Stories from mountains: Cherokee man keeps old stories alive, one hike at a time
The last known footprint of the slant-eyed giant Judaculla is not easy to get to. First, there’s the drive to…
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Assault on Blackrock draws high turnout
Despite some negative publicity last month when spikes were planted along the trails at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, turnout was…
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Nature Center to ramp up education efforts
The WNC Nature Center will launch a regional education outreach program thanks to a $52,000 grant Friends of the WNC…
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The Naturalist's Corner: It really is spring
I was reconnoitering the Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens on Monday March 27, with Brent Martin, Southern Appalachian regional director at…
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Making it awesome: Cherokee prepares to unveil 10-mile mountain biking system
When Ed Sutton first came to Cherokee in November to break ground on a new trail system, his directive was…
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Parkway visitation tops 15 million for 2016
The Blue Ridge Parkway welcomed 15.18 million visitors in 2016, a slight increase from the 15.05 million who visited in…
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Smokies association honored for interpretive work
The Great Smoky Mountains Association took home top honors from the Public Lands Alliance’s annual awards this year.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Today’s pterodactyl
A low guttural croak comes out of the fog hanging over the French Broad River. I turn and look towards…
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‘It was a very good ride’: Blue Ridge Breakaway cancelled for 2017 due to declining ridership, funding challenges
Every August since 2010, the Blue Ridge Breakaway has pulled in tens of thousands of dollars for Haywood County businesses,…
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