Archive for the ‘Appalachian Bear Rescue Center’ Category

Friends of the Smokies to donate more than $1M to Park

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
The Friends of the Smokies will give more than $1 million to the Great Smoky Mountains which will benefit several programs this year.

The organization said in a news release that the projects it helps support include Parks as Classrooms, a program that provides hands-on learning opportunities for more than 18,000 area children.

The organization said it received $444,000 last year in proceeds from the sale of Friends of the Smokies specialty license plates.

Friends is also working to meet a $2 million challenge grant from The Aslan Foundation of Knoxville to fund a third, permanent trail maintenance work crew to help take care of the Park's 800-plus miles of hiking trails.

Last year the organization raised $1 million for the Trails Forever program which helped provide for improvements to the Jakes Creek, Baskins Creek, Forney Ridge and Ramsey Cascades trails within the Park.

Also, with annual funding help from the Friends' license plate program, orphaned and injured black bears are being rehabilitated at the Appalachian Bear Rescue Center near Townsend.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Posted in Appalachian Bear Rescue Center, Friends of the Smokies, Parks as Classrooms, Trails Forever, specialty license plates | Comments Off