Southern Appalachians Highlands Conservancy purchases land near Roan Mountain
The Southern Appalachians Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) recently purchased 51 acres in the Highlands of Roan Mountain. As reported by the Citizen-Times, the land is located on a prominent ridge near the Appalachian Trail. The purchase will protect the vulnerable spruce-fir forest ecosystem, home to birds and other wildlife that are increasingly dependent upon the forest due to climate change.
“This spruce-fir stand is used by numerous rare high elevation species including ted Crossbill, Northern Saw-whet owl, and pygmy salamander,” Marquette Crockett, SAHC’s Roan Stewardship Director told the Citizen-Times. “It is also inhabited by federally endangered species including the Carolina northern flying squirrel and the spruce-fir moss spider. We hope that our protection of this property and restoration work will help to create a safe haven for these climate-sensitive species.”
NC anglers asked to weigh in on fish attractor locations
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking anglers to provide input on the locations of 100 fish attractors it will purchase with a grant received from the Catawba-Wateree Habitat Enhancement Program. The $37,670 grant will be used to improve fish habitat on five Catawba watershed reservoirs, including Lake Norman. A portion of the funds will be used to purchase 100 Mossback fish attractors, which will be distributed at 20 different locations around the reservoir.
Anglers are asked to submit their suggestions for fish attractor locations around Lake Norman to Troy Thompson or Casey Grieshaber with the Wildlife Resources Commission.
California search and rescue volunteer dies while looking for missing hiker on Mount Baldy
Timothy Staples, 32, a 9-year veteran of the San Bernardino sheriff’s volunteer search and rescue team, died Saturday while searching for a hiker that went missing on December 8. Staples was found dead on Mount Baldy after becoming separated from his search and rescue partner. A helicopter located Staples in “an area of ice and snow” where he was pronounced dead.
Staples was one of 126 people looking for missing hiker Sreenivas “Sree” Mokkapati of Irving, California. Mokkapati disappeared on December 8 after becoming separated from his group while climbing Mount Baldy. Mokkapati has not been located and the search for him has been suspended.
