Outdoors
USDA Forest Service releases update on Helene’s impacts on ecosystem, infrastructure
The USDA Forest Service released its preliminary data on the ecological impacts and infrastructure damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene on the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in North Carolina.
Armstrong fish hatchery severely Impacted by Helene: Commission responds to continue Public Mountain Trout program
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County north of Marion sustained significant damage as a result of flooding and landslides during Hurricane Helene.
FIND Outdoors announces ‘Pickin’ for Pisgah’
FIND Outdoors is presenting “Pickin’ for Pisgah,” a benefit concert featuring the Pisgah Pickers, on Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Cradle of Forestry. The concert will start at 5 p.m., bringing together music lovers for a night of bluegrass and community support, with all proceeds benefiting the FIND Outdoors Hurricane Helene Relief Fund.
Parts of WNC abnormally dry
Following the deluge brought on by Hurricane Helene, parts of Western North Carolina are now considered abnormally dry, while some of the state’s easternmost counties are now in a moderate drought.
Master gardener volunteers available to answer questions
The growing season is winding down, but NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers are still available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees, and ornamental plants; disease, insect, weed, or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to pest problems.
U.S. agriculture secretary visits WNC
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Asheville to hear firsthand from local, state and Tribal officials, emergency managers, food bank staff and volunteers, and impacted producers on the region’s relief and recovery efforts and highlighted resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help producers, families and communities in the Tarheel State recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.
N.C. welcomes breed pair of Red Wolves
The Red Wolf Center in Columbia, North Carolina, is set to welcome its first-ever breeding pair of Red Wolves. This historic event, a collaboration between North Carolina Wildlife Federation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Program marks a significant milestone in efforts to conserve and protect the critically endangered Red Wolf.
More Blue Ridge Parkway sections open up
On Wednesday morning, Oct. 30, 2024, the National Park Service restored access to nearly 55 miles the Blue Ridge Parkway from:
Ivey named to Appalachian Leadership Institute
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) named George Ivey, North Carolina Development Director for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, to participate in the 2024-2025 class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, a leadership training opportunity that equips Appalachian community leaders to use economic development as a tool to drive positive change.
