Friends of the Smokies has announced its distinctive bear specialty license plate is now available. The updated design features the iconic black bear in front of vibrant green mountains and a white background behind the numbers. With more than 20,000 on the road, the Friends of the Smokies bear plate is one of the most popular specialty license plates in North Carolina.
Of the extra $30 annual fee for the specialty tag, $20 goes to Friends of the Smokies to support a variety projects and programs in the North Carolina portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, bringing in over $430,000 in 2011. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in America, and one of the few that does not charge an entrance fee.
“Every year, our plate buyers make a significant impact in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Friends North Carolina DirectorHollyDemuth. “They help deliver Parks as Classrooms programs to thousands of North Carolina school kids, and support the protection of the Smokies’ black bears and elk, to name a few.”
For more information about getting your own Friends of the Smokies specialty license plate, visit https://www.friendsofthesmokies.org/coolstuff.html or your local NC license plate office.
Since 1993, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a park partner nonprofit organization, has raised more than $37 million to support educational programs, historic preservation projects, conservation of natural and cultural resources, and wildlife research and protection in the Smokies.
– Friends of the Smokies
