Outdoor Notes: Bays Mountain Park remains closed

KINGSPORT — Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium is closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene. The target date for reopening is Monday, Oct. 7.

The extent of the damage done to the park by last week’s storm includes:

Numerous trees down on paths, trails and across the park in general.Large trees down in two wolf habitats; most of the fencing in one pen was destroyed.A tree penetrated the roof of the Nature Center and caused damage to the balcony.Minor damage to the caretaker’s house, its roof, chimney and gutters.Power, phone and Internet service has been out at the park. The goal was to have it restored by mid-week.

“Due to the professionalism and dedication of staff, no animals escaped or were harmed by the storm,” the park reported. Staff is continuing to work to get the park operational as soon as possible. “We appreciate the public’s patience during this challenging time.”

Visit www.baysmountain.com to check the cleanup status and operating hours before traveling to the park.

Andrew Johnson National Historic Site closed to visitors

GREENEVILLE — Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is currently closed for visitor services due to the after-effects of Hurricane Helene. Park staff are on site working on park stabilization and cleanup efforts.

There is no water or restroom facilities in the town.

Visit nps.gov/anjo for updates.

Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed in North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed through North Carolina as crews continue their initial assessment of the damage from Hurricane Helene.

The National Park Service has deployed its Eastern Incident Management Team which brings specialized skills and resources to support the parkway with employee emergency needs, emergency stabilization of affected park resources, and damage assessments.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 1, 99 National Park Service employees from 22 states and the District of Columbia are working with Blue Ridge Parkway staff in the recovery efforts. There is no date for reopening any parts of the road.

Application period opens for WMA waterfowl hunt

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has announced the application period for the 2024 Mid-Season Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Waterfowl Quota Hunt will run from Oct. 23 through Nov. 12.

Applications can be made online at QuotaHunt.gooutdoorstennessee.com, on the TWRA mobile app, at TWRA regional offices, or any TWRA license agent. Mailed applications will not be accepted. Applicants must be at least 16 years old. Detailed application instructions, general waterfowl quota hunt information, and WMA locations are available on the TWRA website on the Quota Hunts page.

A $12 application fee and a vendor fee that varies based on method of submission is assessed to each application, except for individuals possessing a valid Annual, Lifetime, or Senior Sportsman License.

A person may only submit one application, that can include up to 48 unique hunt choices; hunt choices may not be repeated. Qualifying parties must have at least four members, with a maximum of eight. A party must be established by a party leader who will select the hunt choices for the entire party. A party number will be assigned to the leader after the application has been submitted. The leader informs the person(s) wishing to join the party of the party number. The members will choose “join a party” on their application and input the leader’s party number onto their application.

TWRA’s priority drawing system gives one priority point to applicants each year they apply and are not successful for any hunt. Applicants who were successful last year will start over with a priority of zero. If applicants in a party have varying priority points, the party will assume the point status of the highest point of the party. If a party is unsuccessful, each party member’s individual priority will increase by one point.

A successful applicant may bring up to seven additional hunters (guests) of their choice, each day of the hunt. The number of adults in a blind or pool may not exceed eight, one of which must be a permit holder. No additional party members can be added after the drawing. Permits are nontransferable.

Successful applicants will receive an email with instructions to log in and claim their permit before 11:59 (CST) on Nov. 25. Each party member must claim their own permit. Permits will be available to print after the permit has been claimed. Individuals in the party that fail to claim their permit forfeit their individual permit but may still hunt with a permit holder in attendance at the blind. If the entire party fails to claim their permits, the site location will be forfeited.

The leftover drawings will be held Monday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. local time. The drawing locations are listed on page 85 of the 2024-25 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Guide.