Post-Helene debris and waterway changes have made some of the public’s favorite fishing rivers inaccessible for the season, which peaks in spring and fall, though some trout fishing is allowed year-round.
Smart Bets: Paddling Film Festival World Tour
The celebration of World Water Day benefits local environmental nonprofit MountainTrue.
Smart Bets: Historic Home Tour
The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County invites self-paced exploration of four lovingly restored and preserved Chestnut Hill homes Feb. 22-23.
Green roundup: County commissioners support eastern hellbender
“The eastern hellbender is one of only three giant salamanders on the planet,” said District 3 Commissioner Parker Sloan during the Feb. 4 meeting. “They’re down to about 59%, so we’ve lost roughly half of the eastern hellbenders.”
Upcoming forum looks at historic floods to help find future solutions
“Historic Floods and Landslides — What Have We Learned” will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2-4 p.m., at the Bo Thomas Auditorium on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College.
One community’s quest to manage its downed trees, post-Helene
A group of neighbors saw their forest toppled by Tropical Storm Helene’s winds. It’s getting reshaped again, this time by salvage logging.
Year in Review: Drake Fowler on taking over The N.C. Arboretum and leading the organization through a natural disaster
“I did not expect to be faced with over 10,000 trees down on our property within the first 60 days of my tenure. But with the tireless efforts of our staff and with help from outside organizations, we were able to reopen parts of the arboretum to guests,” says Drake Fowler.
The eastern hellbender may soon get federal protection
Before the hellbender can be listed officially as an endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must open a 60-day public comment period, which began Dec. 13.
Nowhere to hide: Microplastics are polluting western North Carolina watersheds
Researchers discovered that roughly 90% of the microplastics were fibers, with three primary types of plastic present: polystyrene, polyamides and polyethylene. These plastics are used to make items such as sportswear and other types of clothing, takeout food containers, foam packaging and water bottles.
Critics say outdated flood maps provide an inaccurate picture of future threats
FEMA says a quarter of all insurance claims for flood damage occur outside the 100-year floodplain — even though homeowners in those areas aren’t required to buy flood insurance and often don’t.
Regulators order CSX to stop dredging rock from Nolichucky River
The Army Corps of Engineers has ordered CSX to stop mining the Nolichucky riverbed for material used in railroad repairs, according to a copy of a letter shared by The Southern Environmental Law Center, which has sued over the issue.
Carmen Atwater discusses the impact Helene has had on local bees
“Fall is already a nectar scarce time of year, and the storm was immediately followed by our first frost, so it really was a triple whammy,” says Carmen Atwater, founder of Feral Farms.
Unstoppable: Clearing trees and developing new bonds
“We have real concerns about how the downed debris could impact the severity of wildfires,” says Lang Hornthal, co-executive director of EcoForesters. “We also know that nonnative invasive species will take advantage of this newly created growing space and will be a big problem come spring.”
New Soil & Water supervisor talks Helene recovery
Blair Thompson is joining the Buncombe Soil & Water Conservation District board at a time when its work is in the public mind due to Tropical Storm Helene.
Green roundup: Storm delays Woodfin’s Riverside Park improvements
Despite minimal damage from Tropical Storm Helene, improvements to Woodfin’s Riverside Park and a manufactured whitewater Taylor’s Wave are delayed while waiting for water levels to fall.
Waterway protectors reflect on Helene, look to the future
Erica Shanks was in Milwaukee, Wis., for a water and climate conference Sept. 26, but all she could think about was the weather back home. She needed to get home.
Unstoppable: A special place
“We are dedicated to providing key resources so that Pisgah remains the beloved place that it is for WNC residents and all who pass through these mountains,” says Marielle DeJong, donor engagement officer at The Pisgah Conservancy.
Buncombe air quality post-Helene has not been affected greatly by dust, but smoke risk rises, agency says
“What we’re particularly concerned about is the fine particles from open burning that we expect we’re going to see more of,” AB Air Quality Agency Director Ashley Featherstone said.
Smart Bets: Lake Logan benefit concert and volunteer weekend
A weekend of music and food combines with post-Helene river and lake cleanup efforts in Haywood County.
Asheville halts plans to dump debris in residential areas
The City of Asheville suspends dumping post-Helene debris, including trees, drywall, computers, televisions, pesticides and paint, in residential areas.
N.C. Department of Environmental Quality looking into reports of toxins in French Broad River
The N.C. Emergency Management Joint Information Center confirmed Oct. 4 that state and federal agencies have received reports of potentially toxic mud on the banks of the French Broad River in Madison County near Marshall.
