The U.S. Forest Service is proposing increasing or establishing user fees at some recreation areas in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests.
The agency is asking the public to comment on the proposals, which include entrance fee increases to the Roan Mountain Recreation Area and the Sliding Rock Recreation Area, as well as the implementation of a fee for the first time at the Wolf Ford Campground in Pisgah National Forest.
Other proposals include user fee increases at beaches, shooting ranges and several off-highway trail systems.
“Without the fee, two things would happen: We would not maintain them (the recreation areas) to the level people expect and deserve; and we would not be able to add amenities that people ask for,” said Candace Wyman, a spokeswoman for the National Forests in North Carolina. “The fees do not cover all the costs, but they certainly help.”
For more information on the proposals, and to comment, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Monday, June 7, 2010
American Red Cross offers wilderness first aid course
A new course offered by the Shenandoah County chapter of the American Red Cross will familiarize people with how to survive in the great outdoors.
The first 16-hour wilderness and remote first-aid course will take place June 12-13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Shenandoah County Park. The course, sponsored by the Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation Department and Blue Canoe Crew, is designed for Scouts, outdoor enthusiasts and people who work in remote wilderness environments.
The 16-hour Wilderness and Remote First Aid course gives people the skills needed to respond to an emergency when help may be delayed. The course includes training on:
• Head (Brain), Neck and Spinal Injuries
• Heat-Related Emergencies
• Hypothermia
• Altitude-Related Illnesses
• Allergies and Anaphylaxis
• Burns
• Bone and Joint Injuries
• Wounds and Wound Infection
The course also offers enhanced content and topics to meet OSHA’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs—particularly important for occupational environments that are impacted by federal regulations.
The course is based on the Boy Scouts of America Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine Guidelines and has been reviewed and/or supported by the American Camp Association, American Canoe Association, National Recreation and Park Association, and JCC Association.
Course participants must be at least 14 years of age and possess current certification in adult CPR/AED. To find out how you can participate in Wilderness and Remote First Aid training, contact the Shenandoah County Chapter at 540-459-2913 or visit shenandoahredcross.org for more information.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
The first 16-hour wilderness and remote first-aid course will take place June 12-13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Shenandoah County Park. The course, sponsored by the Shenandoah County Parks and Recreation Department and Blue Canoe Crew, is designed for Scouts, outdoor enthusiasts and people who work in remote wilderness environments.
The 16-hour Wilderness and Remote First Aid course gives people the skills needed to respond to an emergency when help may be delayed. The course includes training on:
• Head (Brain), Neck and Spinal Injuries
• Heat-Related Emergencies
• Hypothermia
• Altitude-Related Illnesses
• Allergies and Anaphylaxis
• Burns
• Bone and Joint Injuries
• Wounds and Wound Infection
The course also offers enhanced content and topics to meet OSHA’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs—particularly important for occupational environments that are impacted by federal regulations.
The course is based on the Boy Scouts of America Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine Guidelines and has been reviewed and/or supported by the American Camp Association, American Canoe Association, National Recreation and Park Association, and JCC Association.
Course participants must be at least 14 years of age and possess current certification in adult CPR/AED. To find out how you can participate in Wilderness and Remote First Aid training, contact the Shenandoah County Chapter at 540-459-2913 or visit shenandoahredcross.org for more information.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Lightning kills woman on Max Patch
The Asheville Citizen-Times is reporting that a woman was killed when she was struck by lightning while hiking on Max Patch Bald just northeast of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The victim was struck during a thunderstorm around 4:30 p.m. Friday as she hiked in an open area on U.S. Forest Service land near the Tennessee line, said Capt. Levi Roullard of the Spring Creek Fire Department.
The woman, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was dead at the scene. A Madison County dispatcher said she was from out of state.
Roullard said that if you’re caught outside during a thunderstorm, it’s best to stay out of open areas and seek a lower elevation if possible. Also avoid getting under tall trees.
The hiker's death occurs just days after a single lightning strike in Yellowstone National Park injured nine people. All nine visitors were on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser when a small thunderstorm cell produced a single lightning bolt. Click here to read the full story.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
The victim was struck during a thunderstorm around 4:30 p.m. Friday as she hiked in an open area on U.S. Forest Service land near the Tennessee line, said Capt. Levi Roullard of the Spring Creek Fire Department.
The woman, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was dead at the scene. A Madison County dispatcher said she was from out of state.
Roullard said that if you’re caught outside during a thunderstorm, it’s best to stay out of open areas and seek a lower elevation if possible. Also avoid getting under tall trees.
The hiker's death occurs just days after a single lightning strike in Yellowstone National Park injured nine people. All nine visitors were on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser when a small thunderstorm cell produced a single lightning bolt. Click here to read the full story.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Hiker rescued from Mount Pisgah after fall
The Asheville Citizen-Times is reporting that a hiker was rescued yesterday after falling on some rocks near the base of a television tower on Mount Pisgah.
A call came in around 2:15 p.m. reporting that a hiker had fallen from the WLOS-TV tower and was still clinging to it, according to emergency scanner traffic. Once on the scene, however, rescue crews learned that a man in his mid-70s had hiked to the base of the tower and fallen on some rocks, Upper Hominy fire chief Steve Hensley said.
Hensley said he did not know the man’s name or how far he fell, but said he was unaware of any injuries other than some shoulder pain. The man was hiking with a group of people and one of the other hikers provided first aid until help arrived.
The accident happened about 1.5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway over rugged terrain. Crews used a tram used by WLOS to access the tower to move the injured man to an ambulance in Haywood County, Hensley said.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
A call came in around 2:15 p.m. reporting that a hiker had fallen from the WLOS-TV tower and was still clinging to it, according to emergency scanner traffic. Once on the scene, however, rescue crews learned that a man in his mid-70s had hiked to the base of the tower and fallen on some rocks, Upper Hominy fire chief Steve Hensley said.
Hensley said he did not know the man’s name or how far he fell, but said he was unaware of any injuries other than some shoulder pain. The man was hiking with a group of people and one of the other hikers provided first aid until help arrived.
The accident happened about 1.5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway over rugged terrain. Crews used a tram used by WLOS to access the tower to move the injured man to an ambulance in Haywood County, Hensley said.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Blue Ridge Parkway section closed Monday and Tuesday
A three-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway west of Asheville will be closed Monday and Tuesday while workers trim trees and remove debris from ice storms this winter.
The section affected is from Milepost 405 near the N.C. 151 intersection west to Milepost 408 near Pisgah Inn. The road will be closed 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily.
Contractors will also be doing cleanup work in the broader area from Milepost 383 at N.C. 191 to Milepost 411 at Wagon Road Gap and that work may cause brief delays. The parkway will remain open in those areas except for the Milepost 405-408 closure and from Milepost 399 to 405, which is closed long-term because of slide repair.
For information on hiking opportunities on the Blue Ridge Parkway, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
The section affected is from Milepost 405 near the N.C. 151 intersection west to Milepost 408 near Pisgah Inn. The road will be closed 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily.
Contractors will also be doing cleanup work in the broader area from Milepost 383 at N.C. 191 to Milepost 411 at Wagon Road Gap and that work may cause brief delays. The parkway will remain open in those areas except for the Milepost 405-408 closure and from Milepost 399 to 405, which is closed long-term because of slide repair.
For information on hiking opportunities on the Blue Ridge Parkway, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Great Smoky Mountains Institute seeks bird banding recruits
The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is recruiting help to track populations of the 230 different species of birds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Thirty-four of the species living in the Park are considered endangered, threatened or otherwise of concern.
Banding sessions typically began at 6 a.m. as volunteers help erect nets. During the next six hours, the nets are checked every 40 minutes, birds are carefully removed and metal bracelets, marked with nine-digit numbers, are attached to their legs. Detailed notes are taken including age, gender and breeding condition. After the birds are inspected they are released.
The bands have a unique number on them, which is registered with the Bird Banding Laboratory in Maryland. If a bird is ever captured again, or if it is found dead, the finder should report the bird's status and band number to the laboratory.
The 2010 bird banding dates are as follows:
* Thursday, June 3rd
* Wednesday, June 16th
* Thursday, June 17th
* Wednesday, June 23rd
* Tuesday, June 29th (Tentative)
* Thursday, July 8th
* Friday, July 30th
* Wednesday, August 4th
For more information, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Banding sessions typically began at 6 a.m. as volunteers help erect nets. During the next six hours, the nets are checked every 40 minutes, birds are carefully removed and metal bracelets, marked with nine-digit numbers, are attached to their legs. Detailed notes are taken including age, gender and breeding condition. After the birds are inspected they are released.
The bands have a unique number on them, which is registered with the Bird Banding Laboratory in Maryland. If a bird is ever captured again, or if it is found dead, the finder should report the bird's status and band number to the laboratory.
The 2010 bird banding dates are as follows:
* Thursday, June 3rd
* Wednesday, June 16th
* Thursday, June 17th
* Wednesday, June 23rd
* Tuesday, June 29th (Tentative)
* Thursday, July 8th
* Friday, July 30th
* Wednesday, August 4th
For more information, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Cumberland Trail Conference Receives $67,400 Grant
Representative Richard Floyd (R-Chattanooga) announced earlier in the week that the Cumberland Trail Conference has been selected to receive a grant for $67,400 from the Regional Trails Program (RTP). The funds will support the Big Soddy Bridge Project.
“These funds will assist with the Big Soddy Bridge Project, which is sorely needed in Hamilton County,” said Representative Floyd. “This is one piece of the funding puzzle that will make this project a reality, and I am pleased that state departments and agencies realize the urgency and necessity of this project.”
The grant recipients were selected through a scoring process, with careful consideration given to the projects that met the selection criteria and expressed the greatest recreation need. Funding for these grant awards comes from the Recreational Trails Program through the Federal Highway Administration and is administered by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Recreation Educational Services Division.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
“These funds will assist with the Big Soddy Bridge Project, which is sorely needed in Hamilton County,” said Representative Floyd. “This is one piece of the funding puzzle that will make this project a reality, and I am pleased that state departments and agencies realize the urgency and necessity of this project.”
The grant recipients were selected through a scoring process, with careful consideration given to the projects that met the selection criteria and expressed the greatest recreation need. Funding for these grant awards comes from the Recreational Trails Program through the Federal Highway Administration and is administered by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Recreation Educational Services Division.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
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