KNOXVILLE — Members of the Knox County Growth Policy Coordinating Committee will hold their second (but first official) public meeting on Monday, Nov. 27 to hear from the public and consider amendments to the Growth Policy Plan that dates back to 2000. The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building. (This meeting was previously scheduled for Nov. 16.)

The committee’s first of two meetings required by Tennessee State Law to change a growth policy plan had initially been announced for Oct. 24. However, when it became known that the announcement had not been published with due notice in a local newspaper to met the letter of the law, the Oct. 24 gathering was relabeled as a public information meeting only, and its agenda limited to merely provide an introductory presentation about the Advance Knox process and its proposals, with an opportunity for brief citizen statements.

Road will reopen with single-lane closures on Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. 

GATLINBURG— Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to rehabilitate Lakeview Drive in North Carolina through Great American Outdoor Act funding. The NPS will open Lakeview Drive to vehicles on Nov. 16 at 12 p.m., but visitors shouldplan for temporary single-lane closures andperiodic closures of some parking areas as construction is completed. 

Construction crews will continue to rehabilitate parking areas, guardrails, headwalls and more over the next few weeks. Crews will complete the road rehabilitation in the spring when they place the final layer of asphalt that will provide for a smoother ride. 

Hikers and visitors will be able to access the Noland Creek Trail, Lakeshore Trail, Goldmine Loop Trail, Benton MacKaye Trail, or Lakeview Drive Tunnel from the road, but may not be able to park at the closest parking lot to the trailhead. Visitors should expect to see machinery and equipment in the area until the project is complete.

Tennessee wants to prioritize a developing plan to reduce pollution causing climate warming and wants to hear from residents. A survey was created for residents to share what they wanted to see in a statewide climate pollution reduction plan. The survey closed on Nov. 15.

This planning process is being led by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and is part of the Tennessee Volunteer Emission Reduction Strategy (TVERS), an emission reduction plan currently being developed by TDEC with support from various partners. This plan is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program, which was established in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA).

KNOXVILLE — Knox County Residents can participate in and provide input at an upcoming Hazard Mitigation Plan update meeting. The meeting is designed to empower community members and raise awareness about potential risks as part of the initial planning process. Community members are also invited to take part in a public survey to share insights on hazard concerns and preparedness.

The in-person public meeting will be held at 5:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at the City of Knoxville Public Works Service Center, Community Room (3131 Morris Ave. Knoxville, TN 37909). The meeting will provide an overview of the plan’s purpose and gather feedback on changes or new information that should be incorporated into the plan. Anyone unable to attend in person can join virtually or share feedback through an online form.

Explore how to reduce your monthly power bill and increase the health and comfort of your home.

Federal and local funding opportunities available at all income levels

KNOXVILLE — As the weather turns colder, many Knoxvillians start to worry about home heating bills. Fortunately, energy efficiency incentives and funding programs are available to Knoxvillians of all income levels through federal tax credits and rebates. Free local funding is available for qualifying customers of KUB through the “Home Uplift” program. Many Knoxvillians are unaware of these opportunities or unsure of how to access the funding programs.

Family-friendly Home Energy Expo

The local organizations that cooperate with small local businesses in the Save Money, Save Energy program and the expo and workshop at Ijams are the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB), Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED), Sierra Club – Harvey Broome Group, Three3 (pronounced three cube) and Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light (TIPL).

Home Energy Expo at Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920 — Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Save Money, Save Energy workshop starts at 2:30 p.m. (RSVP recommended to secure a seat)

Join Keep Blount Beautiful (KBB) and Little River Watershed Association (LRWA) for a run (or walk!) by the Little River in view of the Great Smoky Mountains for the 5^th Annual Little River Run 5K at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Townsend Abbey. This race is a great way to support a clean, green and beautiful Blount County. The Little River Run encourages participants to engage with their community, enjoy the beauty of Blount County and help spread the message of environmental stewardship. All proceeds will support the many free events, programs and educational initiatives including litter pickups, stream cleanups, invasive removals, recycling events and educational programs.

In-person and virtual options for the race: This will be a chip-timed event. Participants of all ages are welcome. Race tickets will be $30 beginning, Sept. 5. Race registration increases to $35 starting Nov. 13. Children 12 and under can register for a rate of $15 at any time. Registration will also be available on race day. Virtual race runners are not chip-timed and are at a flat rate of $30.

It’s that time of year again — time to reserve your trees for Tennessee Tree Day 2024. Reserve yours now and plan on picking them up on March 15th or 16th and planting them that weekend.  Here are some special things to know about this year’s statewide native-tree-planting extravaganza:

• This is the 10^th Annual Tennessee Tree Day
• You have more than 12 native species to choose from
• Plant at home, on the farm, or anywhere you have permission to plant
• You have more than 150 pick-up sites to choose from
• We anticipate planting our one millionth tree in 2024 — we want you to be part of this historic milestone. (We founded the Tree Program in 2007 with a goal of planting one million trees. You can help us cross the finish line!)

Please join Mayor Kincannon, City Council members, Trees Knoxville and University of Tennessee leaders, and others at the City Tree Board’s Arbor Day tree-planting at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, at Harriet Tubman Park, 300 Harriet Tubman St. 

Thanks to two federal grants totaling $4.3 million, tree lovers hoping to expand Knoxville’s canopy — especially in neighborhoods needing it the most — are especially joyful this Arbor Day. 

The federal government has awarded $1.7 million to Trees Knoxville, a City nonprofit partner, to plant and maintain 7,500 trees along streets, in parks, at schools, in public housing communities, in historic African-American cemeteries and elsewhere. 

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was awarded another $2.6 million to increase tree canopy coverage, reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate extreme heat and bring ecosystem services to underserved communities in East Knoxville. 

Both tree grants were funded through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, touted as the biggest climate investment in U.S. history. 

“The investments made possible by these federal grants will be transformative,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “We’re going to reverse the slow decline of tree canopy, and in fact prioritizing the greening up of areas that we know are the most in need of additional plantings.”  

Elkmont company town circa 1912.  National Park Service

GATLINBURG — Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers and volunteers invite the public to Daisy Town Day in the Elkmont Historic District on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Daisy Town Day is a celebration honoring those who lived, worked and played in the area before the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

As part of the celebration, volunteers in historical clothing will share stories and photos of the Daisy Town area in its heyday. At the Appalachian Clubhouse, visitors can watch a 1928 home movie showing the Daisy Town area, listen to music by local band Wild Blue Yonder, and explore exhibits spotlighting daily Daisy Town life. All cabins will be open to the public. 

For almost 150 years, the Elkmont area was home to Little River Lumber Company, one of the largest logging companies that operated in the pre-park years. But by the early 1900s, the area became a popular vacation destination for members of Knoxville’s Appalachian Club. Beginning in 1910, the Appalachian Club leased land from the lumber company to create a hunting and fishing camp and build vacation homes. At one time there were over 80 structures in the area, including Daisy Town and nearby Society Hill and Millionaire’s Row. Today 18 restored buildings tell the story of the history of tourism in the Smokies. Friends of the Smokies, the park’s philanthropic partner, has helped fund restoration of many of the Daisy Town buildings. 

Daisy Town is near Elkmont Campground, which is approximately 6 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  For more information call the visitor center at 865-436-1291. 

It’s time for the 3^rd annual No Trash November

This year Tennessee is out to make history again. All volunteer groups who regularly pick up litter on Tennessee roadways will rally together and host a cleanup event in November — cleaning up Tennessee right before friends and families visit for the holidays.