by Anna Lee Zanetti

Friends of the Smokies black bear license plates continue to grow in popularity with quarterly sales up $5,000 compared to last year.

The sale of specialty license plates in North Carolina support priority projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Projects supported by the specialty plate fees include the Wild Hog Control Program.

Friends of the Smokies’ most recent quarterly distribution check from North Carolina Department of Transportation was for $113,640. This is the 4th consecutive quarter that has been larger than the previous year’s corresponding quarter. With sales on the rise Friends of the Smokies is able to better assist the National Park in managing over 500,000 acres by providing them with the necessary funds for needed projects.

The purchase made by the individual license plate owners help fund wildlife management programs in the park including wild hog control. Non-native wild hogs were introduced in the 1900’s and cause severe damage to high-elevation grassy balds and valleys by uprooting vegetation with their snouts while searching for food. Removing this invasive animal from the Park has been an ongoing battle for Park Rangers since 1959.

Friends of the Smokies help fund the purchase of thermal imaging units, a new source of technology that makes the operation more efficient and effective. The Park will also use the thermal imaging to help locate elk calves early in the morning during the calving season and bat monitoring at night.

Friends of the Smokies specialty license plates can be purchased for $30 in North Carolina and $35 in Tennessee, independent of plate expiration date. Plates may be purchased at DMV license plate tag offices and online at www.FriendsOfTheSmokies.org.