Outdoors
USDA implements new wood processing program
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled a new program to support American wood processing facilities.
The Joyful Botanist: A cedar by any other name
When is a cedar not really a cedar? Well, in the case of the evergreen tree that most people know as eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana), that answer is always. This cedar is not truly a cedar. Its common, or folk name is red-cedar, which I’ve also seen written as red cedar. And often people will shorten that to cedar and would assume that it is truly a cedar.
Wilderness Wildlife Week
More than 90 free educational sessions, five days of outdoor excursions and key note speakers await attendees of Pigeon Forge’s 33rd Wilderness Wildlife Week Jan. 28 through Feb. 1.
Macon to address floodplain, Lake Emory Dam in new year
After almost a year of work, discussion and often tense disagreement on the issue, Macon County is set to continue its pursuit of adjustments to its floodplain ordinances and considerations about possible removal of Lake Emory Dam in the new year. Not only did the effects of Hurricane Helene change the nature of these discussions, but new leadership on the county commission could impact the course it chooses.
Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust conserves 54.45 acres of forested land
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT) announced the permanent conservation of 54.45 acres of forested land just two miles from downtown Highlands. Located along the majority of the lefthand side of Glen Falls Road, this pristine property is a vital part of the area’s natural beauty and ecological health.
Rehab efforts begin on popular Smokies trail
The National Park Service (NPS) will begin a major rehabilitation on Laurel Falls Trail, one of the most popular trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The trail will close for 18 months starting Jan. 6, 2025, as crews make improvements to the trail and parking areas.
Burning permit requirement reinstated in WNC
The N.C. Forest Service has reinstated the requirement for open burning permits in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties.
Drought conditions lessen in WNC
After several weeks of increasingly dry conditions, Western North Carolina has finally seen some much-needed rain, taking the whole region out of drought conditions and into a “moderately dry state.”
HCC hosts spring hunter safety courses
Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer two opportunities for hunter safety courses in Spring 2025.
