River park would boost visitation, tax revenues
Kelly Custer has been a lifelong lover of the outdoors, from playing sports as a kid to mountaineering adventures in…
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N.C. Arboretum upgrades facilities, increases parking fee
The N.C. Arboretum in Asheville recently completed several upgrades to its facilities, including conversion to LED lights in all indoor…
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Blue Ridge Breakaway off for 2017
The Blue Ridge Breakaway, which would have celebrated its eighth year in August, has been canceled for this year with…
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Polar plunge raises $30,000 education
The 2017 Polar Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Environmental Education surpassed its goal to raise $30,600 this year,…
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The race is on: Police investigate Pinnacle trail spiking as Assault on Blackrock sees record registration
News spread fast last week after the Sylva Police Department removed more than 50 spikes from hiking trails at Pinnacle…
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Prescribed burns planned for national forests
Over the next few months, prescribed burns will be conducted on all four of North Carolina’s national forests.
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Grant dollars will help WNC farms grow
A total of $201,000 has been awarded to 35 farm businesses in Western North Carolina as part of this year’s…
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Drought increases in Western N.C.
Drought is creeping back into the area, with the number of counties designated as experiencing severe drought growing from four…
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WNC bike shops get national recognition
Of 4,000 U.S. bike shops, Motion Makers Bicycles and Bryson City Bicycles were selected as two of the 253 listed…
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Restoration and demolition planned at Elkmont
Work is underway to demolish some buildings and restore others in the Elkmont Historic District of the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Solar eclipse viewing tickets on sale
Tickets are now on sale for the Great American Solar Eclipse in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, available on…
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What me chase?
Regular readers of “The Naturalist’s Corner” may remember that I’ve decided to keep a 2017 year-list of birds. I noted,…
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Down to bare rock: Smokies’ Chimney Tops could be closed for years following fire
When starting the hike, it’s not immediately obvious why the Chimney Tops Trail should be appointed for long-term closure. The…
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Firefighters combat Cold Mountain Fire
A human-caused fire estimated at 132 acres is burning in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area about 20 miles south of…
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Comprehending climate: Smokies seeks to understand impacts of shifts in seasonal patterns
According to the National Phenology Network, Punxsutawny Phil had it all wrong when he emerged from his hole this month…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Is spring springing earlier?
Back in January I surveyed the Tellico Fire with MountainTrue biologist Josh Kelly. We were there to check out the…
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Fire review underway in the Smokies
A team of fire experts is assembling at Great Smoky Mountains National Park to conduct a review of the 2016…
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From mountains to sea: N.C. woman relives six months spent hiking the state
If you’d polled Kimberley Brookshire’s friends a couple years ago, they’d likely have said the chances were slim to none…
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Haywood Waterways recognizes water champions
Haywood’s biggest water champions of 2016 have been recognized by the Haywood Waterways Association, highlighting accomplishments from youth education to…
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New easements conserve hundreds of acres
More than 340 acres in Jackson and Cherokee counties have been conserved, thanks to conservation easements through Mainspring Conservation Trust.
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Twice threatened
In the land of the noonday sun, there lives a noonday snail. The noonday globe snail, Petera clarkia Nantahala is…
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Drought on the retreat
A week of rainy weather put drought on the retreat, with the classification of extreme drought absent from North Carolina…
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Grant to help kids explore the Great Smokies
A $20,000 Google Field Trip Days grant will help the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont give more kids and…
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FAQ: The effects of WNC’s 2016 fire season
Did the fires hurt wildlife? Prescribed burning is often used as a tool to benefit wildlife by regenerating their habitat,…
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Wildfire impacts range from barely there to complete char, but true effects remain to be seen
It’s a warmer-than-average January day, the contours of the mountains visible from the highway beneath a thin covering of leafless…
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Federal dollars fuel WNC farmland conservation: $8 million allocation is region’s largest ever
Land conservation groups across the region found something to celebrate this month when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an…
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Winter storm causes road closures
Two U.S. Forest Service roads in Madison County have been closed for safety reasons,
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Waynesville Rec Center breaks records
A record 149,600 visits were recorded at the Waynesville Recreation Center in 2016, busting the previous record of 149,574 set…
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Wildlife refuge lands grant
The increasing number of wildlife requiring aid in Western North Carolina will benefit from a $5,000 grant that the N.C.…
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The probably not so — Big Year
The 2011 movie “The Big Year” — a comedy starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson — didn’t ruffle…
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Braving the storm: Backcountry rescuers save lost hikers in snow, frigid temps
It was around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, when the two hikers stepped out of their red Ford Edge and…
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Smokies sets new visitation record
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park reeled in 11.3 million visitors in 2016, a 5.6 percent increase over the previous…
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Haywood Gleaners logs 30,000 pounds of produce donations
Fifteen tons of food that would otherwise have gone to waste found their way to hungry mouths in 2016, thanks…
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Nothing like old-time boardinghouses
Editor’s note: This column first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in January 2011. Are there boardinghouses still operating here…
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Harrah’s recognized for environmental policies
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort earned recognition for reducing its environmental impact when Green Key Global bestowed it a 4-Key rating…
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Drought severity lessens in WNC
Wet weather over the past week has put a dent in the severity of drought in Western North Carolina.
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Bear baiting and more trapping policies among proposed wildlife rule changes
A public hearing seeking input on this year’s round of proposals from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will be held…
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Hikers rescued after three days in the woods
A day hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest turned into a days-long ordeal culminating…
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A growing mark: Outdoor school opens world’s largest wilderness medicine classroom in Cullowhee
Just north of Cullowhee, at the curvy, gravel terminus of Cane Creek Road, sits the building containing the world’s largest…
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Campfire ban lifted in the Smokies
Campfires are now legal in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the first time since Nov. 15.
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Smokies trails reopen after fire
Seven trails and one road that have been closed since the Chimney Tops 2 Fire are now open in the…
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A look back at 2016: Backcountry adventures, birthday celebrations and a wildfire season to remember
For those who love the outdoors, it’s not hard to list the reasons why Western North Carolina is a spectacular…
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Cattle working equipment available for community use
New cattle working equipment will soon be available for community use in Swain and Jackson counties.
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Red wolf killed in wildlife refuge
A reward of $5,000 is being offered in the case of a red wolf that was shot and killed around…
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Three dead in Smokies plane crash
Three people have died in a plane crash that occurred Monday, Dec. 26, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.…
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Trout restoration project coming to Cataloochee
A Smokies biologist will give a glimpse of plans for a brook trout restoration project in the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Resolve to be active in 2017: WNC runs and rides offer ample options for fitness goals
January is universally recognized as the time to make a fresh start, throw away last year’s used-up calendar and dream…
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Electric vehicle stations coming to Jackson
Jackson County will be getting three new electric vehicle charging stations thanks to a grant from Duke Energy.
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Improvements coming to Massey Branch Access
Major reconstruction is underway at the Massey Branch Boat Access Area on Santeetlah Reservoir, meaning the area will be closed…
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Fish conservation and water quality to benefit from Duke grants
Environmental quality projects in Western North Carolina will get a boost thanks to grants from the Duke Energy Foundation, whose…
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