Preservation is a long-term commitment

To the Editor:

I was recently honored with Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Award, an award I treasured receiving. In her remarks in presenting this to me, Chancellor Kelli Brown noted my 30-plus years of cultural preservation.

Fueled up: Public opposition mounts over gas station project

A new gas station, T&C General Store, is planned for the corner of N.C. 107 and South River Road, where the old Jack the Dipper used to sit, right on the Tuckasegee River. 

While a project of this nature is permitted in the zoning district, the public has expressed concern over environmental, aesthetic and traffic safety concerns, especially in the wake of flooding from Hurricane Helene. 

Mainspring and partners protect Parkway views

The Conservation Fund announced that a critical property in the Great Balsam Mountains is protected as forest and natural land.

Cherokee hosts heritage seed workshop

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Extension office is hosting a workshop to teach people about the preservation of heirloom seeds.

Heirloom seeds help to ensure future generations maintain a reliable food supply, support financial self-reliance, preserve agricultural heritage and reflect cultural traditions. 

Conservation plan coming for Jackson

Jackson County is embarking on a conservation plan with goal of protecting certain tracts of land. 

“Jackson County is, from a natural resources perspective, a phenomenal county,” said Owen Carson, senior ecologist at Equinox Environmental in a presentation to commissioners Feb. 4.

Saddle up: Cataloochee Ranch rides into next chapter

Meandering up Fie Top Road in Maggie Valley, just as your vehicle’s engine is pushed to the limit and it seems you may eventually drive off the edge of the earth, you emerge atop a mountain ridge, a large rustic lodge appearing in the distance — the Cataloochee Ranch. 

The art of the tale: Pigeon Center storyteller series focuses on conversations

Stories abound in these here mountains, almost as countless as the towering trees that cloak those familiar slopes. But beneath the canopy, if you look close enough and listen hard, there’s a whole other crop of them that rarely see the light of day. 

Smokies Life CEO to retire

Following CEO Laurel Rematore’s announcement that she intends to retire at the end of 2024, Smokies Life, formerly known as the Great Smoky Mountains Association, has launched a national search for her successor. 

Farmland preservation grants available

County governments and conservation nonprofits have until Dec. 18 to apply for farmland preservation grants from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. 

Anchored at Kituwah: After 138 years, Cherokee will reclaim its Mother Town as sovereign territory

A restless autumn wind ripples through the valley, passing over green fields, across turned-up garden plots and through tall rows of dried corn stalks. Their raspy skeletons rustle in the breeze, which exits the field to send a few glimmering strands of gossamer sailing over the gravel path that leads past Kituwah Mound. 

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