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☆ Catastrophic damage closed swaths of the Appalachian Trail. Now thousands are working to restore it
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Graham Hurley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The Appalachian Trail extends for almost 2,200 miles across 14 states – from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Portions of the trail in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest suffered the most severe damage and remain closed. Towns and businesses need the trail’s trafficThe Appalachian Trail is more than a footpath for many people. Every year thousands of people attempt to hike the entire trail or “thru-hike” it, and about 3 million people visit portions of the trail, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The total cost of the repairs along the trail remains unclear while officials continue assessing the full extent of the wreckage, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy said.

Persons: Terry Wise, Hurricane Helene, ”, Wise, Helene, –, “, Michelle Mitchell, Franklin Tate, They’ll, Tate, ” Wise, It’s, ’ ” Wise, Johnny’s, We’re, Ed Clark, ” Clark, Roy Cooper’s, Paul Curtin, Curtin, Crews, ” Curtin, Mitchell, Terra Caballero, Caballero, ” Caballero, Billoy, Shutterstock Craig Stivers, Stivers, Erwin, ” Stivers Organizations: CNN, Volunteers, US Forest Service, National Park Service, Forest Service, Forest, Cherokee, North Carolina . North Carolina Forest Service, Appalachian, Conservancy, Forest . United States Forest Service, North Carolina Gov, Carolina Mountain Club, Asheville . United States Forest Service, US Department of Transportation, Officials, conservancy, Unicoi Locations: Erwin , Tennessee, East, Springer, Georgia, Katahdin, Maine, Georgia , North Carolina , Tennessee, Virginia, Southern, North, Pisgah, Tennessee, North Carolina, Hurricane, North Carolina . North, Towns, Appalachian, Erwin, Hot Springs , North Carolina, The, Asheville, Forest, Bent, Asheville ., South Carolina , Tennessee, Florida, Hurricane Milton

☆ Dustin Kjersem’s death in Big Sky, Montana, was a murder, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Saturday morning, the friend called 911 and said he’d found Kjersem’s bloodied body in a tent about two-and-a-half miles up Moose Creek Road, east of Big Sky. Kjersem’s friend, who authorities did not identify, told them he found his body around 10 a.m. Saturday. “Anyone with trail or game cameras in the Moose Creek area, please reach forward, even if the footage seems irrelevant,” Sheriff’s Capt. “Anyone with in-car cameras traveling in the Moose Creek area during this time frame … anyone who saw the victim’s truck,” he added. Investigators have not determined Kjersem’s time of death and have not made any arrests.

Persons: Dustin Kjersem, —, he’d, Kjersem, ”, ” Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer, “, ” Springer, ” Kjersem, Jillian Price, Springer, Kjersem's Ford, don’t, Nathan Kamerman Organizations: CNN, Moose, Big Sky, ” Gallatin County Sheriff, US Forest Service, Authorities, Gallatin County Sheriff's, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks Locations: Montana, Big, ” Gallatin County, Gallatin County, Belgrade , Montana, Moose, Western Montana

☆ A couple rents its 40-foot-tall fire tower on Airbnb for over $260 a night — over 1,600 are on the waitlist for the property's 65 spots
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Amanda Adler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The US Forest Service manages rentals of repurposed fire lookouts, but these historic properties are hard to come by. Dabney Tompkins and Alan Colley decided to build their own tower in the early 2000s. "We particularly liked the picture on the front cover," Colley said. The couple attempted to book a stay at the first lookout that caught their eye, but they were out of luck — it was booked through the next year. They managed to secure a last-minute overnight at a different fire-lookout tower, prompting the Portland-based pair to spend the next several years renting similar properties from the US Forest Service.

Persons: Dabney Tompkins, Alan Colley, Tom Hanny, Tompkins, Colley Organizations: US Forest Service Locations: British Columbia, Portland

☆ Ohio hiker rescued after missing for 14 days in Kentucky’s rugged wilderness
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Christina Zdanowicz | Brammhi Balarajan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The moment the good news came over the radio was “exhilarating,” Wolfe County Search and Rescue Chief John May told CNN. The search began on July 16, when Hern’s family realized where he had gone and contacted the search group, May told CNN. That night, a team searched for Hern until after midnight, but they couldn’t find him, the Wolfe County rescue group posted on Facebook. After July 8, Hern told rescuers he didn’t eat or drink anything, as his mouth was too dry to do so. From Wolfe County Search & RescueHern was hospitalized and was not able to walk on his own, the rescue group wrote on Facebook on July 22, two days after his rescue.

Persons: Scott Hern, ” Wolfe, John May, “, ”, “ It’s, hadn’t, Wolfe, ” May, Hern’s, May, Eric Wolterman, Hern, Wolterman, ” Wolterman, “ Scott Hern, I’m, “ We’ve, –, Hearn, rehydrate, ” CNN’s Tanika Gray Organizations: CNN, US Forest Service, WLEX, Facebook, Team, Kentucky State Police Locations: An Ohio, Kentucky, Wolfe, Ironton , Ohio, Wolfe County, Ohio, Bell Falls

☆ As cartels take a stake in ‘green gold,’ US and Mexico rethink how avocados reach American kitchens
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When two US avocado inspectors were assaulted and detained at a police roadblock in the Mexican state of Michoacán last month, it sparked a costly international crisis. ‘Green gold’Avocados, the creamy fruit with the industry nickname “green gold,” are big business. Nearly three-quarters of Mexican avocados come from Michoacán, a state along the country’s Pacific coast with a volcanic belt running through it that makes its soil ideal for farming. The office of the Michoacán state prosecutor told CNN last month that they’ve opened an investigation into the incident. In 2022, exports of Mexican avocados were similarly halted for several days after one of the US inspectors working in Michoacán received a threatening phone call.

Persons: Weeks, “, Ario de, Cristopher Rogel, ” Romain Le Cour, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, Mexico Ken Salazar, they’ve, ”, Le Cour, Michoacán, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Victor Villalobos, Ken Melban, Brian, Melban, Brad Adams, ” Adams Organizations: CNN, US, US Department of Agriculture, Global, Transnational, Local, USDA, Plant Health, Service, Agriculture, ”, US State Department, AP, Climate Rights, US Forest Service Locations: Mexican, Michoacán, Mexico, Ario, Ario de Rosales, avocados, California, Michoacan

☆ After he drove off an embankment and became stranded in a ravine, this man’s dog traveled 4 miles to find help
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Kaila Nichols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In town, no one had seen or heard from Garrett, Millhollin said. “I thought for sure when I was making the 911 call that I was calling just for a body recovery,” Tyree Garrett told CNN. The accident had happened when he started to fall asleep while driving, Garrett told CNN: “I thought I’d make camp and I didn’t. Garrett told CNN he sustained a hairline fracture in his foot and some lacerations. Three of Garrett’s dogs – including Blue – are with him as he recovers, but one still isn’t back from the veterinarian.

Persons: Troy Millhollin, Brandon Garrett’s, ” Millhollin, Garrett, Millhollin, Tyree Garrett, ” Tyree Garrett, Blue, ‘, Brandon Garrett, “, I’d, ” Garrett, ”, Tyree Garrett’s, Sheriff Travis Ash, Brandon, Ash, “ I’m, Pitbull, Shepherd, Whippet, “ I’ve, “ They’ve, they’re, ” Brandon Garrett Organizations: CNN, US Forest Service Locations: Halfway , Oregon, Baker, County

☆ Fact Check: Gates-backed venture will not chop down 70 million acres of trees
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Rather, it is developing a project that handles throwaway biomass from forest thinning for the U.S. Forest Service. The article, entitled “Bill Gates Pushes Plan to Chop Down 70 Million Acres of Trees to ‘Fight Global Warming,’” was published on a website called Slay on Aug. 31. “Our company is developing technology to help public agencies like the US Forest Service, stewardship non-profits, and private landowners meet their wildfire mitigation and forest thinning goals," he said. Kodama Systems, a company that received funding from a fund owned by Bill Gates, is not planning to cut down millions of acres of U.S. forests. The company has received a grant from the U.S. Forest Service for a project to handle throwaway biomass from forest thinning.

Persons: Bill Gates, ”, Slay, Scott Owen, Owen, ” Owen, Robert York, KODAMA, James Sedlak, Read Organizations: Systems, U.S . Forest Service, Kodama Systems, Microsoft, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Western, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USFS, Department of Interior, Berkeley Forests, UC Berkeley, Oregon State University, University of Melbourne, Kodama, US Forest Service, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Western United States, California

☆ GOP Senate candidate plans to steer book sale money to a group that lobbies for his industry, teeing up potential conflict of interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tim Sheehy is releasing a memoir in the middle of his campaign for US Senate in Montana. He plans to steer some of the revenue from the book to an industry lobbying group he helped found. It's the latest conflict-of-interest question for Sheehy, whose company relies on government contracts. But Sheehy's book release poses unique conflict-of-interest questions, given his apparent plans for the revenue. If Sheehy's campaign chooses to promote the book when it's released, that would mean using campaign resources to raise money for a lobbying organization that benefits Sheehy's bottom line.

Persons: Tim Sheehy, Sheehy, Simon, Schuster, Matt Rosendale, Democratic Sen, Jon Tester, Tester, it's, Phil Hardy, Hardy, who's, Joe Biden's Organizations: US, Service, Navy SEAL, Bridger Aerospace, Caucus, Democratic, United Aerial Firefighters Association, Bloomberg, Department of Interior, US Forest Service, Senate, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Montana, Wall, Silicon, America, Washington, DC

☆ York Fire in Nevada and California spawns 'fire whirls'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A massive, out-of-control fire burning across both California and Nevada is generating extreme fire behavior, spawning “fire whirls” and creating dangerous conditions for firefighters, authorities said. Firefighters battling the blaze have seen fire whirls – “a vortex of flames and smoke that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, creating a spinning column of fire,” the Mojave National Preserve said Sunday. Crews battlling the York Fire faced "fire whirls" Sunday in the Mojave National Preserve, California. Ty O'Neil/AP“These fire whirls are similar to dust devils but are specifically associated with the heat and energy released by a wildfire,” the Mojave National Preserve said. The struggle to control the York Fire has allowed smoke to reach into Nevada and southern Utah, the fire incident overview noted.

Persons: Crews, Ty O'Neil, “, Carr, Jesse Winter, Jeffrey Todd, Erick Thompson, SpokanSector, Hayden Organizations: CNN, York, US, California -, Firefighters, Preserve, National Interagency Fire Center, National Interagency, Center, Reuters, British Columbia Wildfire Service, Regional, of, US Border Patrol Spokane Sector, Facebook, Forest, US Forest Service Locations: California, Nevada, New, Canadian, California - Nevada, , California, Redding , California, Utah, East Las Vegas , Boulder City, Henderson, Clark County , Nevada, Canada, Washington, Washington’s Okanogan County, Bluff, British, Osoyoos, of Okanagan, Oroville, ”, Challis, Leadore , Idaho

☆ I film skiers doing tricks. Here's how I taught myself to shoot and landed gigs that let me travel the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Stasia Stockwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gavin Rudy films professional skiers performing tricks. I primarily make ski films — action-sports movies that feature professional skiers doing tricks on mountains and in urban settings. I also liked making videos as a hobby, so I put the two together and started filming my friends doing ski tricks. Even though camera technology has come a long way since I started, I'm not always inspired by the newest technology. Gavin RudyI usually take on jobs filming professional skiers for wider brand projects.

☆ Photos show the hundreds of shipping containers stacked to form a haphazard 'border wall' between Arizona and Mexico that sparked a federal feud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Doug Ducey's makeshift border wall has sparked a federal feud. The miles-long wall consists of empty shipping containers lined up along the southern border of the US. The wall of containers runs through federal land and conservation areas and is expected to cost nearly $100 million. Federal officials with the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Reclamation demanded in October that Ducey stop building the impromptu wall. Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, the government sued Ducey and the state on Wednesday for placing the wall on federal land.

☆ DOJ sues Arizona for placing shipping containers at the border
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The federal government is suing Arizona for placing shipping containers at the border as a temporary wall, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Doug Ducey, a Republican, issued an executive order telling the state’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to use shipping containers to fill in gaps along the border, and did so without official permits or authorization, CNN previously reported. The federal government has been battling with the state ever since to get the containers removed, according to the lawsuit. “Not only has Arizona refused to halt its trespasses and remove the shipping containers from federal lands, but it has indicated that it will continue to trespass on federal lands and install additional shipping containers,” the lawsuit states. “Arizona stands ready to cooperate with the federal government on construction of a border wall and always has been,” the letter from Ducey’s office said.

☆ Arizona Gov. Ducey ordered stacked shipping containers with razor wire to be used as a makeshift border wall over federal objections
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Doug Ducey has ordered shipping containers be used as a border wall. Governor-elect Katie Hobbs said the barrier is "not effective" and called for cooperation with the federal government. Doug Ducey has ordered empty shipping containers to be stacked on top of one another and topped with razor wire as a makeshift border wall, in the face of federal objections. In August, Ducey ordered the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to use the containers to secure gaps along the state's southern border, particularly near Yuma, according to CNN. "I think what we need to do is look at how we can cooperate with the federal government on border security issues," Hobbs said.

☆ Natural vs. artificial Christmas tree: Which option is better for climate?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Christopher Dilts/Bloomber/Getty ImagesIt’s easy to imagine that reusing an artificial tree year after year is the more sustainable option. The American Christmas Tree Association, a nonprofit that represents artificial tree manufacturers, commissioned WAP Sustainability Consulting for a study in 2018 that found the environmental impact of an artificial tree is better than a real tree if you use the fake tree for at least five years. “Planting, fertilizing and watering were taken into account for real trees, which have an approximate field cultivation period of seven to eight years.”What are the benefits of real trees? Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesOn average, it takes seven years to fully grow a Christmas tree, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. About 15,000 farms grow Christmas trees in the US alone, employing over 100,000 people either full or part-time in the industry, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

Drone Amplified, a Nebraska-based startup, is using unmanned aerial technology to improve one of the oldest and most-effective methods of preventing wildfires: prescribed burns. “Then you have helicopters with a whole crew on board, flying really low and slow over the fire,” he added of other methods for prescribed burns. The drones allow firefighters to work at a distance from flames, according to Detweiler, and in areas that are difficult to reach due to terrain or visibility. Precision is a critical element when conducting prescribed burns, because it is crucial for preventing fire escapes. Two recent controlled burns in New Mexico escaped and led to the state’s largest wildfire on record.

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