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Archived Outdoors

Commissions wants input on how to manage Needmore game land

out needmoreA public meeting on management plans for the Needmore game land in Macon and Swain counties will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Tartan Hall, First Presbyterian Church, 26 Church St., in Franklin.

Hosted by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the meeting is to get input on creating a management plan for the next 10 years. Needmore is a 4,800-acre tract of mostly forested land, but it also features some old home sites and old agricultural fields maintained for wildlife habitat. “We are encouraging everyone who has an interest in these game lands to attend the meetings to provide input on how the properties should be managed,” said Gordon Warburton, mountain ecoregion supervisor with the Wildlife Commission. “We hope to hear from not just hunters and anglers, but also from wildlife watchers, photographers, birders and others who use or have an interest in using these game lands.”

The most outstanding physical feature of the game land is the Little Tennessee River, which traverses about 26 miles of the property. The lower portion of the Little Tennessee River is noted nationally for several endangered and threatened species, like Appalachian elktoe and spotfin chub. Popular game species on the game land include white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit and ruffed grouse. 

The Wildlife Commission has also created an online comment form that is available on the Commission’s website. People who do not attend a meeting will be able to submit comments for each game land management plan at www.ncwildlife.org. Click on “Comment on Game Land Plans” in the scrolling icons at the bottom of the homepage. Comments also can be e-mailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Type the name of the game land on which you’re commenting in the subject line. The Wildlife Commission will provide updates on development of new game land management plans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ncwildliferesourcescommission and Twitter, twitter.com/ncwildlife.

www.ncwildlife.org