About 150 people signed an attendance sheet at a Citizens Informational Workshop for the proposed U.S. Highway 221 widening project. The project will widen the 16.1-mile section of road from two lanes to four lanes from the intersection with U.S. 421 south of Boone to the U.S. 221 Business/N.C. Highway 88 in Jefferson.
Current total cost estimates for the project, including right-of-way acquisition and construction, are about $98 million. Read more …
Environmentalists are still celebrating a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week to suspend and review permits for two new mountaintop removal coal mining operations in West Virginia and Kentucky. The EPA said it also intends to review other requests for mining permits, putting between 150 to 200 coal mine permit applications on hold.
Read more …
By Scott Nicholson
Grandfather Mountain is officially a state park now, with Friday’s passage of a legislative bill, one of the last steps of a year-long process that secures the long-term future of the biological treasure.
It joins 33 other state parks, including Elk Knob State Park in the Meat Camp community in Watauga County. The Morton family, heirs of the attraction’s founder Hugh Morton, reached the deal while continuing operation of a portion of the park that has been a popular travel destination.
The state purchased 2,456 acres of the mountain last year, and a bill to name it a state park was introduced by N.C. Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-93) and Sen. Steve Goss (D-45), among other regional sponsors. The bill now goes to Gov. Beverly Perdue for her signature.
An agreement for the state to purchase the undeveloped, backcountry portion of Grandfather Mountain was announced by former Gov. Mike Easley in September. Funding for the $12 million acquisition came from the N.C. Parks and Recreation and Natural Heritage trust funds, with no additional appropriations needed in a tight budget year.
State park officials have been meeting with the Morton family to finalize a management plan for the property and its 12 miles of trails. The 749-acre travel destination and theme park will remain in operation by the Mortons, though a conservation easement on the property ensures it will remain much as it is and prevent residential development. The theme park features a nature center, wildlife habitats and the famous “Mile High Swinging Bridge.”
It was developed as an attraction by Hugh Morton in the 1950s and lies in Watauga, Avery and Catawba counties. It reaches nearly 6,000 feet in altitude.
By Scott Nicholson
Though soil preparation is a year-round task, it’s not too late to improve on Mother Nature’s humble offering of dirt.
Soil amendments are best made gradually, beginning with a soil test to determine the acidity and level of organic matter in the soil.
However, if you are breaking in a new patch of ground or filling up some front-porch containers, a few simple steps can increase the yield, whether growing vegetables or flowers.
If breaking new ground, remove the top layer of grass and vegetation with a shovel.
This layer can be set aside, composted, or placed at the bottom of a trench and covered over with six to eight inches of dirt, giving earthworms some decaying vegetation to convert to nitrogen-rich soil.
If you want to plan ahead, you can cover an area of grass or weeds with layers of newspaper, with several inches of mulch piled on top.
Read More from the Watauga Democrat
