Outdoors
Trail association celebrates legislative victory
H.R. 2768 Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025, as amended, has passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The amendment requires the feasibility study to be completed within two years. (The Senate version required a one-year study.)
Wildflower walks at Lake Junaluska
The Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake Junaluska is offering wildflower walks this spring led by members of the garden’s Board of Directors. The walks will take place at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, with the exception of one Monday walk, March 30. Participants should meet at the top of Stuart Circle.
Introduction to fly fishing classes
The Waynesville Parks & Recreation Department will host instructors from the Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited conducting an Introduction to Fly Fishing Class, on three evenings in March. Intended for first-time fly fishermen and fisherwomen wanting to learn the basics, the class will also appeal to anglers looking for some expert tips.
Haywood Farm Bureau scholarship deadline nears
High school seniors in Haywood County who have a degree of need coupled with a serious commitment to agriculture and community service are encouraged to apply for the Haywood County Farm Bureau’s scholarship program by April 15.
Students must have a GPA of at least 2.5, be residents of Haywood County, be currently enrolled in a Haywood County school or a two or four-year school, planning to enroll in an approved post-secondary program (technical/community, junior college, or a four-year institution.)
Cost-saving energy program now available
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Energy Saver North Carolina program is now available in all 100 counties, helping eligible households lower energy bills. Residents can check eligibility and apply for rebates to improve home efficiency, with more than $200 million available for upgrades.
Remember the Removal: A 950-mile bike ride, and so much more
At some points, engulfed in the rush of the ride, “your head feels like it’s going to pop off your shoulders,” said 2026 Remember the Removal mentor Freida Saylor.
Saylor participated in RTR in 2025, a three-week, approximately 950-mile bike ride that traces the northern route of the Trail of Tears — one path of forced removal of the Cherokee people to Oklahoma from their Southern Appalachian homelands — following the 1830 Indian Removal Act signed by President Andrew Jackson.
Hurricane recovery receives a boost
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have entered into a $290 million Good Neighbor Agreement to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. The agreement — the largest of its kind for the Forest Service — will speed up recovery efforts, create new jobs, reduce overall costs and strengthen communities impacted by the hurricane.
NC greenhouse gas emissions lowest in decades, uptick projected
North Carolina’s annual greenhouse gas emissions are at their lowest levels in decades. However, forecasts indicate that increased reliance on natural gas and coal for electricity generation could temporarily offset these gains in the coming years.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has released an update to the state’s greenhouse gas inventory.
Water monitoring volunteers needed
In 1996, the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) program was established as a water quality monitoring program for many Western North Carolina counties. In Haywood County, Haywood Waterways Association manages 25 sites on 19 streams. The program’s purpose is to provide long term water quality monitoring information to help leverage grant funding for water quality improvement projects.
