Farm and forest land eligible for tax breaks
If you have 10 acres or more of agricultural land or five acres of horticultural land and make a gross…
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Help the environment farming, the feds might help you
Farmers are eligible for grant money to help with projects to make their operations more environmentally-friendly through the USDA’s Natural…
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Group runs to inspire half-marathon hopefuls
If the holidays resulted in a few extra inches to your waistline and you’re determined to get fit, a free…
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Mount Mitchell gets new superintendent
Bryan Wilder, a veteran state park ranger, has been promoted to superintendent of Mount Mitchell State Park. Wilder takes over…
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A Wild Week in the Wilderness
The 22nd Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week is scheduled for Jan. 7-14 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. This year’s Wildlife Week boasts…
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Origin of WCU white squirrel a mystery
A rare sighting of a white squirrel at Western Carolina University has workers there abuzz. The squirrel has been spotted…
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Gov. Purdue recognizes Save the Frogs Day
Gov. Beverly Purdue of North Carolina recently issued a proclamation officially declaring April 28 “Save the Frogs Day” in the…
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Group negotiates compromise to save old-growth stands
Conservation groups are hailing an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service that they say will protect an area of rare…
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Friends save tract bordering the park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park got an early Holiday gift on Dec. 14 when the Friends of the Smokies officially…
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National Park road updates hit Twitter
If you want to know which roads are closed because of weather conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,…
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New NC bird habitat map online via Audubon
Audubon North Carolina has put out a new edition of Important Bird Areas of North Carolina, a full-color publication with…
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Start the New Year with a hike at Gorges Park
Gorges State Park is sponsoring a free, guided hike on New Year’s Day. This is a part of First Day…
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Frosty Foot trail races coming to Tsali
Feeling sprightly in the New Year? Then hit the trails in the Tsali National Forest Recreation Area Jan. 7 with…
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Walking trail at Lake Junaluska lengthened
The walking trail at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center is getting longer thanks to a new one-half mile extension…
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Become a Master Gardener
If you are in Jackson and Swain counties, it’s time to sign up for the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service’s Master…
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A wonderful Christmas gift
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Wild South, the Western North Carolina Alliance (WNCA) and the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition…
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Surf’s up on the Nanty: Paddler feedback integral to honing the new ‘Wave’
The common phrase heard among kayakers daring the Nantahala’s new wave: “It’s getting there.” The Wave in the Nantahala Gorge…
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WCU program receives grant to study impact of rising sea-levels
Western Carolina University’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines has received a $239,000 grant from the National Park Service…
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Celebrate the sun with solstice walk
Celebrate the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, by participating in a nighttime walk at 7 p.m. Thursday,…
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Ring in 2012 with a 5K run
The seventh annual Run in 2012 5K will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 1 in Jackson County. The race…
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Christmas weekend hikes planned
Enjoy the outdoors this Christmas by participating in a series of guided hikes scheduled to take place during the holiday…
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Nationally and here at home, sales of local foods are surging
Local food sales are predicted to reach $7 billion nationally in 2012, according to a report released last month by…
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Master Stewardship on the ground
A North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) press release from Dec. 9 announced that work was underway, “… to restore…
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Tom Sawyer’s Tree Farm: A slice of Christmas with your choose-and-cut experience
Christmas tree farming is nothing new in Western North Carolina thanks to the perfect climate, perfect soil and preponderance of…
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Hay prices burning through your dollars?
Learn how to cut down on winter hay-feeding bills by utilizing winter grazing techniques. A “pasture walk” is set for…
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Come see ‘The Wave’ on the Nantahala
The Nantahala Gorge Worlds Organizing Committee will celebrate the completion of The Wave on Friday, Dec. 16, with a ceremony,…
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Working together to address wildlife habitat concerns
Work is under way on the first wildlife habitat enhancement project in Western North Carolina that relies on an outside…
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Start training now and you might live through this trail race …
Assault on Black Rock trail race is a go next year in Jackson County, so mark your calendar for Saturday,…
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Details, training announced for WCU’s Valley of the Lilies
The scenic Cullowhee Valley will serve as the backdrop again when runners from throughout the region gather at Western Carolina…
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Friends of the Smokies board member named
Award-winning businessperson Meridith Elliot Powell has been selected to join the Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Board…
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“Green Drinks” and bear information on tap at Rathskellar
Learn all about bears and bear behavior at a monthly “Green Drinks” social at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14…
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Teachers flock to Highlands for climate change workshop
Twenty-two high school science teachers from across North Carolina recently visited the Highlands Biological Station for a weekend retreat focusing…
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Oh, dear – disease hits N.C. deer
Deer hunters may encounter sick or diseased deer afflicted with hemorrhagic disease this hunting season, according to the N.C. Wildlife…
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Unique book collection displayed in Sylva
A collection of handmade books created by Kathrine Cays, artist-in-residence at The Rickman Store in the Cowee community of Macon…
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Wildflower award winners announced
Regional efforts to make highways more beautiful added up to statewide recognition recently when the N.C. Department of Transportation announced…
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The good fight
As too often happens, in this whirlwind life, I lost my roundtoit. I received an email from the Western North…
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Gear guide 2011
The Smoky Mountain News has teamed up with outfitters for yet another installment of our annual Outdoor Gear Gift Guide.…
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An astronomical look at the Star of Bethlehem
Get a different view of the Star of Bethlehem Friday, Dec. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Pisgah Astronomical…
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Stronger, safer ladders installed on trails at Grandfather Mountain
Hikers taking the trek across Grandfather Mountain’s ridgeline can now enjoy five new ladders on the Grandfather Trail. The new…
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Historic photos now online
More than 1,800 high-resolution images of U.S. Forest Service history in the region are now available online for public viewing.…
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Enjoy special tour of state trout hatchery
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host a free, guided tour of its Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in…
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Pigeon and Cheoah welcome back long-lost fish and mussels
Encouraged by the success of experimental stockings during the last three years, biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are…
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Medicinal plants to furniture, video highlights forest-products businesses
Land-of-Sky Regional Council has released “Stimulus Stories of Western North Carolina,” a video highlighting the success of the WNC Forest…
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Commission for a Clean County seeks award nominees
The Commission For a Clean County in Haywood County wants to recognize those individuals and organizations that made an outstanding…
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Smokies extends elk an invitation to stay
Ten years after the first elk touched down in Cataloochee Valley, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has made the…
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Farmers invited to visit with Ag commissioner
Steve Troxler, the state’s agriculture commissioner, will be the speaker for the Haywood County’s Friends of Agriculture Breakfast from 7-8…
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Live in Haywood? Think local when buying
Haywood County farmers are offering a variety of products this holiday season, including standards such as Christmas trees and wreaths,…
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Lend an eye in national Audubon count
The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will participate in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count on Friday, Dec. 16.…
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Intensive forest farming workshop set for this weekend
Permaculture has become something of a catchword in farming and homesteading circles, a grand concept — but one usually unfulfilled…
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