Recipients include Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, MountainTrue and the Forest Fire Lookout Association. Projects include funding wildlife interns to help construct and maintain bear cable systems in the Smokies and collecting data to protect ash trees from invasive emerald ash borers.
Since the Appalachian Trail Conservancy launched the license plate program in 2005, N.C. plateholders have raised more than $1.2 million for the ATC. With each license plate purchase, $20 goes to various ATC projects around the state.