Across Appalachia
North Carolina Forest Fire Closes Appalachian Trail
An unattended campfire likely caused a 50-acre fire that temporarily closed part of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.
Read MoreFifth Grader Spurs Change at WCU
Cullowhee Valley School fifth-grader Liam Tormey’s testing of the Tuckasegee River led to Western Carolina University staff taking steps to reduce future sediment pollution.
Read MoreManaging GenX Contamination
In May, the North Carolina House and Senate passed separate bills to grant the state Department of Environmental Quality more funding to address GenX contamination.
Read MoreCash for Carbon: Working Woodlands Program Grows in Appalachia
Over 25,000 acres of forest in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia will remain undeveloped for use in Forest Stewardship Council-certified timber markets.
Read MoreWest Virginia State Park Logging Bill Defeated
Widespread public backlash led to the defeat of a West Virginia bill that would have lifted the 80-year ban on commercial logging in state parks.
Read MoreSanctuary for Research Chimpanzees Opens Outdoor Habitat
In January, Georgia-based chimpanzee sanctuary Project Chimps opened a six-acre expanse of woods to 15 apes that had spent their entire lives indoors for biomedical research.
Read MoreEastern Cougar Declared Extinct
The eastern cougar, a subspecies of the North American cougar that once roamed much of the Eastern United States and parts of Canada, was officially declared extinct in February.
Read MoreN.C. Rock Faces Closed to Protect Falcons
The U.S. Forest Service is seasonally closing nine recreational rock faces in North Carolina to protect rare peregrine falcon nests.
Read MoreEast Tennessee Historic Park Wins State Award
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation named the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park as the 2017 State Park of the Year.
Read MoreWest Virginia Teacher Strike Leads to Salary Increase
West Virginia school employees gained a 5 percent raise for the coming school year, ending a statewide walkout that lasted nine school days.
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