The U.S. Forest Service drew criticism from many western North Carolina conservationists in November when it announced a draft plan that will guide the future of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests for the next 15 years.
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Stars Twinkle in Calhoun County
In West Virginia’s rural Calhoun County, which boasts some of the darkest skies across the eastern United States, a proposed starpark will allow professional and amateur astronomers to study the night sky with minimal light pollution.
Scant Action One Year After Elk River Chemical Spill
Roughly one year after a coal-processing chemical spill by Freedom Industries contaminated the drinking water of more than 300,000 West Virginia residents, cleanup of the site remains incomplete and disciplinary and preventative action by state and federal officials has been minimal.
Brook Trout Brought Home
By Barbara Musumarra Little Stoney Creek in the Cherokee National Forest is once again teeming with Southern Appalachian brook trout. This fall, the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute released 1,100 of the fish into their native waters. Researchers will track the…
Kentucky Town Earns Hiking Distinction
State tourism maps will feature a new destination now that Olive Hill, located in Carter County, is Kentucky’s fourth official Trail Town.
WV Wetlands Welcome Extra Funding
West Virginia wetlands received a flood of good fortune, thanks to a $700,000 grant awarded to the state Department of Natural Resources this October.
Former Massey CEO Don Blankenship indicted for fatal Upper Big Branch mine explosion
In November, former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was indicted on four charges in conjunction with the April 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners at the company’s Upper Big Branch mine. He pleaded not guilty.
Southeast Solar Updates
Catch up on regional solar news, from an experimental solar power plant to community solar initiatives to good and bad state policies.
Entrepreneur Banks on the Sun
The contraption looks like a piece of a tanning bed, exposed on a rooftop, leaning toward the sun. But rather than emitting powerful UV rays, these tubes capture them and heat water in a process called solar thermal, harnessing the sun’s energy at a rate that is more than five times more effective than most photovoltaic solar panels.
