Outdoors
Smokies to stay open through October
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain fully open amid the government shutdown through at least Nov. 2 in a combined effort from Sevier County, the Cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Through this agreement, local and state partners will continue to ensure uninterrupted operations of the national park. While the Nov. 2 date extends beyond a standard increment, multiple agreements will be signed over the next couple of weeks to maintain funding through Sunday, Nov. 2, if necessary. If the federal government shutdown continues into early November, the partners plan to meet during the week of Oct. 27–31 to discuss next steps.
This commitment ensures that Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open and fully operational for residents and visitors, with all facilities, roadways, visitor centers, restrooms, campgrounds and trails continuing to operate as normal.
94 acres conserved in Panthertown Valley
Thanks to a collaboration among local conservation partners, Mainspring Conservation Trust has acquired a critical 94-acre inholding within Panthertown Valley that is now on track to be permanently protected.
One of Western North Carolina’s most cherished natural areas, Panthertown is often called the “Yosemite of the East.”
State provides tips to prevent spread of Bird Flu
This time of year, new cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) begin to emerge due to the high numbers of migratory waterfowl that pass through or congregate in North Carolina. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) monitors HPAI in wildlife populations across the state, with an emphasis on birds.
NCDA&CS seeks proposals for agricultural research programs
The deadline to apply for the $1 million grant program is Nov. 14
With $1 million in grant funding available, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer services requests proposals for research that advances agriculture and the agricultural economy in the state.
FROG FAIR comes to Franklin
Friends of the Greenway will host the 12th FROG FAIR, an arts and crafts, music and food fundraiser event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the Greenway Visitor Center/FROG Quarters at 573 E. Main St. in Franklin.
Roadless Rule recission appears to undermine public opinion
The National Forest Service, housed under the United States Department of Agriculture, plans to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule instated by President Bill Clinton to protect national forests’ roadless acres.
Drawing opposition from 99% of public commenters, this recission is part of a series of opaque federal actions and policies instituted in the face of significant public outcry.
Word from the Smokies: Though small in size, insects are ecological giants
What initially draws my eyes to the tall, stalky plant growing near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the round, green bulge in a stem near its crown. Called galls, such growths are often caused by insects like wasps and flies, whose larvae use them as safe places to feed and grow. I’m excited to show it to 2025 Steve Kemp writer and illustrator in residence Jim and Leslie Costa, who are leading a Smokies Life Branch Out event exploring the diversity of insects found in the area.
New agreement extends Smokies opening amid shutdown
Sevier County has signed an addendum with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to continue funding full operations of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the ongoing federal government shutdown. This effort is supported through a partnership that includes the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Up Moses Creek: A bumper crop
One of the earliest signs of fall comes in late August, when dogwood and black gum leaves, green since spring, begin to show the salmon and maroon colors they are soon to be, and when Virginia creeper vines, hidden in the canopy all summer, suddenly redden, revealing their upward windings through the tallest trees. But the surest sign of fall for me lies not overhead but underfoot, in the form of acorns lying on our trails.
