Great Smoky Mountain National Park to begin opening on Saturday
This Saturday, Great Smoky Mountain National Park will begin a phased reopening when many roads and trails open to visitors once again. “The health and safety of employees, partners, volunteers, visitors, and local residents remains the highest priority in park reopening decisions,” the park said in a press release.
The park will implement new safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Campgrounds, picnic pavilions, visitor centers and many secondary roads will remain closed during the first reopening phase. Park officials ask the public to follow health orders, avoid crowding, practice Leave No Trace principles and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.
West Virginia anglers can fish for free through May 31
Governor Jim Justice has announced that West Virginia residents can fish for free for another month. The requirement to possess a fishing license to fish in state-regulated waters has been waived for state residents through May 31, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources said in a press release.
The waiver applies only to fishing licenses but includes a waiver for trout and conservation stamps. All requirements for hunting licenses remain.
New podcast aims to help outdoor lovers during the pandemic
Outdoor Revival, a new podcast created by “seasoned outdoor industry professionals,” aims to help anyone and everyone who loves the outdoors better understand how they can safely and responsibly recreate during the pandemic, their website says.
“Even though we are a band of seasoned outdoor professionals, we could not make sense of all the information and mis-information we were getting from the mainstream media,” the podcast creators said on their website. “So we decided to take it upon ourselves to seek out the top figures in the outdoor industry and create a resources for all who love the outdoors but want to keep themselves as well as everyone around them safe and healthy.”
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