Outdoors
DEQ provides funding for projects to reduce flood risks in North Carolina communities
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint is working with the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) to implement flood reduction and floodplain protection projects. DEQ is allocating over $9 million to 15 NCLWF projects that will provide an estimated 465 acre-feet of flood water retention, or 152 million gallons, during flood events.
Word from the Smokies: Rematore departs Smokies Life with strong record of accomplishment
When Laurel Rematore announced she was moving to the Great Smoky Mountains, Denise Matsuoka was shocked. Matsuoka, Rematore’s close friend since high school, remembered how Rematore had described the Smokies when she’d visited a couple of years earlier.
Haywood Waterways assists EPA to perform Hazard Assessment Surveys
The day after Helene moved through the region, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) was on the phone calling partners or visiting sites as they could to assess how they fared and if HWA could do anything to assist.
Submit soil samples by Nov. 26 to avoid peak-season fees
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services soil testing lab is about to hit its busy season and growers and homeowners are encouraged to submit soil samples by Nov. 26 to avoid peak-season fees and to get results and recommendations sooner.
Friends of Panthertown volunteer appreciation party
Friends of Panthertown invites Panthertown volunteers, board members, partners, hike leaders, conservationists and friends to join us for an afternoon of appreciation and celebration. This event is happening from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, in downtown Sylva at 116 Central Street.
Word from the Smokies: I-40 rebuild offers rare opportunity for wildlife conservation
When the Safe Passage coalition started working in 2017 to make Interstate 40 a safer place for people and wildlife through the Pigeon River Gorge, nobody knew that, in a few short years, entire sections of the critical roadway would vanish in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
North Carolina sees drought, widespread abnormally dry conditions
The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council has classified most of the state, or parts of 89 counties, as abnormally dry (D0 conditions), while 11 northeastern counties are now in Moderate Drought (D1), according to the latest advisory released Thursday.
Following Helene, officials working to avert agricultural disaster
A trio of high-ranking state and federal agriculture officials is warning that if farmers affected by Hurricane Helene don’t get help soon, next year could be a bleak one for both producers and consumers.
The Joyful Botanist: Fall Wildflower Color
When it comes to fall leaf color, trees are what comes to mind for most. Sure, trees are big and there are lots of them. In Autumn when the leaves change they attract a lot of attention and draw tens of thousands of visitors. Most articles and reports about fall color are referencing trees, and possibly some shrubs. I’d like to show some love for the beautiful changing colors of herbaceous plants on the forest floor.
