Wildlife Commission Pledges Support for East Fork Headwaters
 

Wildlife Commission Pledges Support for East Fork Headwaters

The Commissioners of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission unanimously passed a resolution Thursday, pledging the agency’s support for the management…
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GSMNP closures
 

GSMNP closures

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park began operating on its winter schedule Nov. 1, which includes the closing of seven…
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1,000-acre milestone for new agricultural districts
 

1,000-acre milestone for new agricultural districts

In the three years since the Haywood County commissioners authorized a new “enhanced voluntary agricultural district” ordinance, 15 Bethel-area landowners…
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Headwaters tract deal hinges on Wildlife Commission
 

Headwaters tract deal hinges on Wildlife Commission

Kieran Roe, executive director of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, said that if the North Carolina Wildlife Commission does not commit…
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Brock gets break to study climate problems
 

Brock gets break to study climate problems

Warren Wilson College chemistry professor John Brock was recently awarded a grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
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Camping in Cataloochee will require forethought
 

Camping in Cataloochee will require forethought

Cataloochee Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will re-open next year under a new advance reservation system. When…
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Ancient road signs
 

Ancient road signs

Having followed Indians trails and routes for decades, I have learned that some fascinating cultural road markers and signpost elements…
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Blue Ridge Parkway documentary airs
 

Blue Ridge Parkway documentary airs

A new documentary about the Blue Ridge Parkway will air at 10 p.m. on Nov. 4 on UNC-TV. Documentary filmmaker…
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Farmers Market gives thanks to customers
 

Farmers Market gives thanks to customers

Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market will host a customer appreciation event during the last day of its regular season on Saturday,…
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Extension offers beef quality certification
 

Extension offers beef quality certification

The Cooperative Extension Service in Swain County will hold a Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification program for beef cattle producers…
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October nights
 

October nights

The clear night skies last week provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s Hunter’s Moon. The Hunter’s Moon is the…
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Forest service using new methods to save hemlocks
 

Forest service using new methods to save hemlocks

The U.S. Forest Service has begun using a series of new approaches to save hemlock forests under attack from the…
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The 1776 campaign against the Cherokee
 

The 1776 campaign against the Cherokee

By Lamar Marshall • Contributing Writer It was a crisp, cold day with snow on the ground when I pulled…
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Ancient footpaths of a lost era
 

Ancient footpaths of a lost era

Editor’s note: In April 2009, the non-profit organization Wild South was notified by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation of the Eastern…
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Aster-risk*
 

Aster-risk*

Blue, white, lavender and purple corymbs, racemes and panicles will glow from shadowy woods and blaze from sunny meadows from…
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Haywood Heroes 5K to make first annual debut
 

Haywood Heroes 5K to make first annual debut

The Haywood Heroes 5K Road Race and 1-mile Fun Run honoring emergency service personnel who gave their lives in the…
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GSMNP’s 10th superintendent dies
 

GSMNP’s 10th superintendent dies

Former Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Merrill D. (Dave) Beal, 84, died on Sept. 21, at his home in…
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Panthertown to hold workday
 

Panthertown to hold workday

The Friends of Panthertown will hold its monthly Trail Work Day on Oct. 23. Volunteers should meet at the Salt…
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Jordan named new top ranger
 

Jordan named new top ranger

Clayton Jordan is the new Chief Ranger for Resource and Visitor Protection at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “I…
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Suli Marsh to undergo invasive plant purge
 

Suli Marsh to undergo invasive plant purge

Approximately 20 volunteers and staff will converge at Suli Marsh on the Little Tennessee River Greenway from 1 to 5…
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HCC Woodsmen take home prize
 

HCC Woodsmen take home prize

The Haywood Community College Woodsmen’s Team took first in the 2010 John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet and Forest Festival…
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Dangerous trash pulled from the river
 

Dangerous trash pulled from the river

Volunteers with the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River removed old car parts, iron pipes and other trash from Savannah…
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Deep Creek cleanup planned
 

Deep Creek cleanup planned

A Deep Creek litter cleanup will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, in conjunction with…
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DOT calls for outlandish litter
 

DOT calls for outlandish litter

The Most Unusual Litter Contest is currently open to all who participate in the N.C. Department of Transportation’s fall Litter…
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Fish weir Q&A
 

Fish weir Q&A

What is a fish weir? Fish weirs are long, low rock walls built in the riverbed, extending from opposite shores…
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Expedition maps prehistoric Cherokee fishing weirs
 

Expedition maps prehistoric Cherokee fishing weirs

Lamar Marshall had been canoeing the Little Tennessee for years before he knew what a fish weir was. In retrospect,…
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Fish stew: better than it sounds
 

Fish stew: better than it sounds

While today’s fishermen are partial to the big fillets like brook trout and small-mouth bass, Cherokee used even the tiniest…
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Mountain Farm Museum comes to life
 

Mountain Farm Museum comes to life

“An Evening on the Farm” will be held at the Mountain Farm Museum on Thursday, Oct. 14, from 5 to…
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Stimulus money funds exotic plant eradication
 

Stimulus money funds exotic plant eradication

A team of a dozen people will spend the next three years scouring the Cheoah River corridor in Graham County…
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Workshop for environmental activists
 

Workshop for environmental activists

A three-day workshop called “Inspiring Ourselves to Save the Planet: Courage in the Face of Melting Glaciers” will be held…
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Author to recount old hunting tales of the Smokies
 

Author to recount old hunting tales of the Smokies

Author Bob Plott, an expert on the cultural heritage of the Smokies, will share stories of life during the past…
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Poetry and wine on the farm while helping the Little Tennessee
 

Poetry and wine on the farm while helping the Little Tennessee

A poetry reading accompanied by local wines and foods will be held as a fundraiser for the Little Tennessee Watershed…
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Exhibit journey’s into life and times of famed plant explorer
 

Exhibit journey’s into life and times of famed plant explorer

A new exhibit on the early natural history explorer William Bartram is on display at the Macon County library. The…
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Birds of prey on display in the Smokies
 

Birds of prey on display in the Smokies

Naturalist Doris Mager, also known as the Eagle Lady, will introduce the public to some of her favorite birds of…
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Grants encourage new ways of farming
 

Grants encourage new ways of farming

Mountain farmers are encouraged to tap into two different grants to expand and diversify what they grow, as well as…
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Reunion brings back memories of Fontana town
 

Reunion brings back memories of Fontana town

The children of workers who constructed the Fontana Dam in the 1940s are holding their annual reunion this week, returning…
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Live wolves coming to Maggie
 

Live wolves coming to Maggie

A program on wolves, featuring a couple of live wolves, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19,…
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Peregrines have much better year in 2010
 

Peregrines have much better year in 2010

According to a recent report from Chris Kelley, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Mountain Wildlife Diversity Biologist, seven of 12 nesting…
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Watershed forestry back on the table
 

Watershed forestry back on the table

Waynesville town leaders are weighing whether to conduct selective logging of an old white pine plantation in the Waynesville watershed,…
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Conservation makes strides in the mountains
 

Conservation makes strides in the mountains

Blue Ridge Forever, a coalition of nine land trusts in the mountains, will exceed its five-year goal of protecting 50,000…
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Rabies vaccine kibbles to be scattered by air
 

Rabies vaccine kibbles to be scattered by air

Raccoons across WNC may stumble upon unexpected tasty treats this week: fish-flavored morsels containing an oral rabies vaccine. More than…
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Wildlife-friendly subdivisions encouraged
 

Wildlife-friendly subdivisions encouraged

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the North Carolina chapter of the American…
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Paddling put-in on Nantahala gets makeover
 

Paddling put-in on Nantahala gets makeover

A put-in on the Nantahala River that had seen better days has gotten a stunning new makeover. The put-in at…
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Gear up for Franklin’s Halloween Hunard charity bike ride
 

Gear up for Franklin’s Halloween Hunard charity bike ride

Bicyclists, ghosts and goblins will be on the road for the Tour de Franklin “Halloween Hunard” charity bicycle ride on…
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Program to offer armchair journey of Bartram’s Trail
 

Program to offer armchair journey of Bartram’s Trail

An outdoor author who embarked on a modern day pilgrimage to follow in the footsteps of William Bartram, a naturalist…
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Icelandic National Park connects with the Smokies, Parkway
 

Icelandic National Park connects with the Smokies, Parkway

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway are playing host to a visiting entourage from Iceland,…
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Shadow of the bear in Jackson County
 

Shadow of the bear in Jackson County

The “shadow of the bear,” located in southern Jackson County near Cashiers, will be visible for 30 minutes daily between…
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Lace up for the Bethel Half Marathon
 

Lace up for the Bethel Half Marathon

The 17th annual Bethel Half Marathon and 5K race will be held Saturday, Oct. 9. The two routes follow back…
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Benton MacKaye trail celebrates milestone
 

Benton MacKaye trail celebrates milestone

By Reggie Jay • Guest writer As the Benton MacKaye Trail turns 30 this year, a dedicated group of volunteers…
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Local disc golf course to star in regional tournament
 

Local disc golf course to star in regional tournament

Parks and rec departments around WNC are jointly hosting a unique disc golf tournament for the first time ever on…
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