Articles

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Seeing American history through its trees
   July 2, 2012
Ruth Ann Grissom
Tea has been synonymous with political protest ever since colonists dumped shiploads of the stuff into Boston Harbor in an act of rebellion. In historian Eric Rutkow’s recent book, American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation, he notes that trees were an important symbol of liberty in the years leading to the Revolutionary War. Read more


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Finding a lesson in city’s budget, streetcar impasse
   June 27, 2012
Mary Newsom
How did this happen? How did a Charlotte City Council – with all 11 members willing to vote for a small property tax hike to pay for an ambitious, five-year plan of neighborhood improvements – wind up killing that five-year plan? Read more


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Little-known fund conserves some treasured places
   June 26, 2012
Crystal Cockman
Whether you’re a hiker, hunter or history buff, be grateful for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Because of its existence, special places have been preserved for public use all over the country. Read more


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Green lanes? Whatever for?
   June 22, 2012

Charlotte is joining the growing ranks of cities seeking to make streets safer by turning some bicycle lanes green. City officials hope adding green markings to existing bike lanes at certain heavily traveled intersections will more clearly, visibly and safely separate bicycles from other vehicles. Read more


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Conserving the places you will enjoy this vacation season
   June 22, 2012
Crystal Cockman

Where are you going for the 4th of July this year? Hiking the western North Carolina Mountains, where you could go for a hike up Mount Mitchell (the highest peak east of the Mississippi)? Camping in the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest? You could plan on spending the day trout fishing with friends in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Or, you could...

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Restoring habitats: Start with a baseline inventory
   June 20, 2012
Ruth Ann Grissom
Several years ago, when we were planning to change the way we manage some of our land, I happened to meet Bob Askins, a biology professor at Connecticut College and author of Restoring North America’s Birds: Lessons from Landscape Ecology. Read more


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Growing the market for local foods
   June 19, 2012

Two different organizations in the Charlotte region are using borrowed land and volunteer labor to get fresh, local food on the plates of people who need it most. Read more


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Amid sustainability criticism, poll finds public prefers planning
   June 14, 2012

Amid a political environment attacking sustainability initiatives, a new national poll by the American Planning Association finds bipartisan support for planning, and a belief that community planners play a key role in economic recovery. Read more


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You get a line, I’ll get a pole, we'll go fishing in a crawdad hole
   June 13, 2012
Crystal Cockman
What better summertime activity for a kid in the country than playing in a creek? If you look, you may find salamanders, mayfly or dragonfly larvae. If you wait patiently until the silt settles, you just may see a cautious crustacean with pinchers waving. Read more


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How urban should Park-Woodlawn area become?
   June 11, 2012

Many say the future of Charlotte's Park Road-Woodlawn Road area inevitably will be more urban than its past. But how urban should it be? City planners and residents are grappling with that question as they craft a vision for the area. Read more