Smokies Safe Passage

07/09/2026

Safe Passage is excited to share that as part of the state budget, the North Carolina General Assembly has allocated $10.2 million in recurring biennial funding for wildlife crossings and mitigation strategies. Achieved in partnership with many organizations and stakeholders, this is a huge step forward for wildlife crossings in North Carolina. Thank you to all of our supporters and followers who have supported the hard work of this coalition as we’ve worked diligently for several years for this legislative win. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this major milestone for wildlife! Link in comments.

07/09/2026

Safe Passage will be at WNC Nature Center’s Brews & Bears event tomorrow, Friday, July 10, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Grab a local brew and/or a bite to eat from an assortment of food trucks and watch as WNC Nature Center’s resident black bears, Uno and Ursa, enjoy tasty summer enrichment activities. Be sure to stop by the Safe Passage booth to learn more about the coalition and say hello! Ticket link in comments.

Video by Sally Watanabe.

07/07/2026

In July, the Mast General Store in Waynesville, North Carolina, invites you to support Safe Passage’s work for more wildlife crossings. Shop the Waynesville location and round up your purchase to the nearest dollar to help our mountain wildlife. Additional donations will be accepted at the register as well.

Mast General Store in Waynesville is located at 63 N. Main St. Store hours are Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

06/12/2026

National Parks Conservation Association and Safe Passage are at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, this weekend. 🎶 During the first day alone, approximately 700 festival-goers signed postcards addressed to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy asking him to prioritize wildlife crossings in federal transportation policy.

Attending Bonnaroo this weekend? Come say hi and sign a card.

06/09/2026

Interested in learning how communities can coexist with bears? This Thursday, June 11, from 7–8:30 p.m., join Rewild AVL of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and Artemis Sportswomen at the Reuter Center at UNC Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina, for a conversation about BearWise, a national program that encourages community initiatives to keep black bears wild. Learn more and register at ncwf.org/event/bearwise-live-responsibly-with-bears-asheville/

05/04/2026

It's National Travel and Tourism Week, and Safe Passage is out and about! Today, Defenders of Wildlife's Tracy Davids is representing Safe Passage at the I-40 West North Carolina Welcome Center. Then, on Friday, May 8, stop by our table at the I-26 North Carolina Welcome Center in Mars Hill from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 🐻

04/24/2026

Join SAHC members and friends at Yee-Haw Brewing on Wednesday, May 13 for a fun evening of environmental trivia focused on road ecology: the study of how roads, traffic, and transportation infrastructure impact natural environments.

📍 Yee-Haw Brewing Company
⏰ 5 pm to 8 pm - Trivia starts at 6
ℹ️ RSVP at https://appalachian.org/event/2026-yeehaw-trivia/, but feel free to drop by!

Spend time with your local conservation community and learn more about Smokies Safe Passage, one of SAHC’s critical partnerships focused on wildlife connectivity. You do not need to participate in trivia if you don’t want to. Annual donors and active volunteers are considered members of SAHC and form the foundation of our conservation work!

Yee-Haw Brewing is located in the heart of downtown Johnson City, in the historic Tweetsie train station. In-house food options are available, as well as White Duck Taco Shop, which shares the space. Beer, wine, liquor, and non-alcoholic options are available. Well-behaved dogs are welcome at the venue.

For questions or more info, feel free to reach out to Membership Director Cheryl Fowler at [email protected].

04/13/2026

Unless lawmakers take action, funds from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that support new wildlife crossings will run out at the end of this year. Safe Passage members and other advocates are urging Congress to reauthorize funds for the program. Learn more at app.publicnewsservice.org/story/nc-advocates-call-on-congress-to-approve-wildlife-crossing-funding/9f178cc6-15ae-4cf2-9ef0-d3c233cd2669?

North Carolina faces a high number of wildlife-vehicle collisions compared to other states and safety advocates are calling on Congress to make a wildlife crossings pilot program permanent and increase