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Fire Mountain Inferno draws near

Spots are still available in the fifth annual Fire Mountain Inferno mountain biking event in Cherokee on April 22-23.
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Celebrate spring at NOC

Nantahala Outdoor Center will kick off its 2023 season with the annual Spring Fling Celebration Saturday, April 22, at the…
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Immerse yourself in Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.
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Cooper to visit Canton

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will return to Canton on April 6 to discuss the forthcoming closure of Pactiv Evergreen’s…
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Heed the Call

Within hours of birth, fur seal mothers and pups can recognize each other’s voices.
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Dialing down the risk: Haywood Waterways hopes to reduce future flood risk with grant

OO Over the next two years, Haywood Waterways Association will implement a $2 million grant aimed at protecting Canton, Clyde…
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In brief
 

In brief

Go birding Join birding expert Howard Browers at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 6, on the Waynesville Greenway to look for…
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Professor publishes book celebrating Alfred Russel Wallace

A new book by Jim Costa, executive director of Western Carolina University’s Highlands Biological Station, showcases the life of a…
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Forage with the Museum of the Cherokee Indian
 

Forage with the Museum of the Cherokee Indian

A lecture series focusing on foraging will extend through May at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee.
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Linville Gorge camping permits move online
 

Linville Gorge camping permits move online

Due to increased demand leading to frequent busy signals and long hold times, overnight permits for the Linville Gorge Wilderness…
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Explore Panthertown
 

Explore Panthertown

Friends of Panthertown is hosting a series of trail work days and guided hikes this month.
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Clean up the Tuck

The annual Tuck River Cleanup will commence on Saturday, April 15, inviting hundreds of volunteers to raft or walk 20…
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Become a lifelong gardener
 

Become a lifelong gardener

Learn how to indulge your love of gardening despite age or mobility level during a two-hour program at 1 p.m.…
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House bill seeks $5 million for wildlife crossings

The N.C. House of Representatives has filed a budget bill that includes $5 million for infrastructure to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions…
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Mainspring celebrates land purchases

Mainspring Conservation Trust has purchased two new properties that will add to ongoing conservation projects in Macon and Jackson counties.
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Race into strawberry season

The Strawberry Jam Half Marathon/5K will return for its second year Saturday, May 20, in Bryson City. The half marathon…
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Group size limited at Whiteoak Sink during wildflower season

During the wildflower season at Whiteoak Sink in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which extends through Sunday, May 7,…
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Unravel the secrets of soil
 

Unravel the secrets of soil

Learn about soils and composting at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at Bicentennial Park in Sylva.
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It’s in our blood

Each spring I am struck by the beauty and encouraged by the support given by bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) as it…
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Hike the classics

The 2022 Classic Hikes of the Smokies Series has begun. 
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EBCI recognized for dam removal efforts

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has received the 2023 River Champion Award from American Rivers for its leadership in…
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Parkway visitation falls

Visitation for 2022 to the Blue Ridge Parkway dipped by 1.5% compared to 2021, with the biggest drops coming from…
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Federal law formalizes heritage area system
 

Federal law formalizes heritage area system

The National Heritage Areas Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law on Jan. 5, has implications for Western North…
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River in rebound: After mill closes, a healthier Pigeon could help Canton recover

For decades, concern about water quality has been the central tension between Canton’s paper mill and the environmental advocates monitoring…
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Red wolf plan delayed

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delaying the publication of the final revised red wolf recovery plan, which courts…
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Notes from a plant nerd: Worts and All

Among the duff of last year’s fallen leaves lie many interesting and beautiful shapes to catch your eye on a…
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Set your racing goal for 2023

It’s not too early to start training for a big race in 2023, with race organizer Glory Hound Events already…
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Adventure at the arboretum

Registration is open for two upcoming sessions of Outdoor Adventure Kids, or OAK, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. 
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Prescribed burn planned for Graham County
 

Prescribed burn planned for Graham County

A 1,295-acre prescribed burn in the Yellow Creek area of Graham County could take place any time before April 15. 
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Volunteers needed 
to help track seasonal changes of trees 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is currently recruiting local volunteers to ‘Adopt-A-Plot’ and track the seasonal change of trees, also…
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Tremont receives gift from Lawson Family Foundation
 

Tremont receives gift from Lawson Family Foundation

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont has been awarded $25,000 from Lawson Family Foundation to support their efforts to connect…
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Smokies record second busiest year ever

Great Smoky Mountains National Park experienced its second busiest year ever in 2022 with 12,937,633 visits. Last year’s visitation was…
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Park it Forward: Congress won’t pay for Smokies maintenance backlog — you will

After years of inaction by Congress led to a massive $262 million deferred maintenance backlog in America’s most-visited national park,…
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Up Moses Creek: Look up!

The day dawned clear, and I was standing on the ridge behind our house looking west and waiting for the…
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Spur Tunnel work to switch lanes
 

Spur Tunnel work to switch lanes

Much of the maintenance on one side of the Spur Tunnel is complete, allowing contractors to begin work on the…
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Wildlife Commission approves rule changes
 

Wildlife Commission approves rule changes

During a business meeting Thursday, Feb. 23, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted to adopt eight proposed rules related to…
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African American Project lead reflects on 2022, plans for 2023

Who were they? How did they get here? What were their lives like? These are questions that constantly resonate with…
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Smokies parking tag program takes effect
 

Smokies parking tag program takes effect

Starting March 1, any vehicle parked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 10 minutes must display…
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Notes from a Plant Nerd: Red Maple Winter

There’s a change in the air every year around this time. A subtle shift in energy. Days start getting longer,…
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Soehn selected to lead Friends of the Smokies
 

Soehn selected to lead Friends of the Smokies

Dana Soehn, a 34-year employee of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park who has been part of its management team…
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Writer and naturalist George Ellison dies at 81

George Ellison, a writer and naturalist whose home and inspiration was on Lands Creek in Bryson City, died Sunday, Feb.…
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Forest management plan now final

After 11 years of work, the U.S. Forest Service released the final, revised Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan Feb 17,…
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Holding court: Pickleball grows 
in popularity 


It’s 4 p.m. on Thursday, which for a growing subset of Haywood County residents means only one thing — it’s…
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Trail building starts soon at Old Fort

Construction of 4 miles of new trail will soon be underway on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National…
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Road construction could delay A.T. hikers
 

Road construction could delay A.T. hikers

For the next two years, Appalachian Trail users will experience delays at Stecoah Gap due to construction on Corridor K. 
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Greenbrier area closed for flood repairs

Access to the entire Greenbrier area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed from Feb. 13 until…
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Rock faces closed for falcon protection

Twelve rock faces in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are closed to climbing, rappelling, hang-gliding and other activities through…
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Sights on elk season: Bill would implement N.C.’s first elk hunt

North Carolina could see its first elk hunt since wildlife rules existed if a bill introduced to the General Assembly becomes…
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Equine infectious anemia found in Henderson County
 

Equine infectious anemia found in Henderson County

Equine infectious anemia has been found in 19 horses located in nine counties, including Henderson County. Of the 19 horses,…
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