Systemwide Plan for North Carolina State Parks 2009
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Systemwide Plan for North Carolina State Parks 2009 N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Systemwide Plan for North Carolina State Parks 2009 Division of Parks and Recreation Department of Environment and Natural Resources EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The years from 2000 through 2008 were a period of unprecedented growth for the North Carolina State Parks System. In 2000, the NC General Assembly established a goal of protecting one million acres of open space lands. Funding was provided through several state trust funds, as well as special indebtedness, and the state parks system underwent an historic, carefully planned expansion. • Land acquisition added 46,340 acres to the system, and 15 new units, including state parks, state natural areas, and state trails, were authorized by the General Assembly. Land acquisition funding from fiscal year 1999-2000 through fiscal year 2007-2008 totaled $276.1 million. • Two nationally known landmarks were added to the state parks system. Chimney Rock was added to Hickory Nut Gorge State Park in 2007, and the park’s name was changed to Chimney Rock. The undeveloped portions of Grandfather Mountain became a state park in 2009. • From fiscal year 1999-2000 through fiscal year 2007-2008, $139.3 million was made available to the state parks system for construction of new facilities and for repairs and improvements to existing facilities. • Major advances have been made in interpretation and education, natural resource stewardship, planning, trails, and all other programmatic areas. Field staff positions increased from 314 in 1999 to 428 in 2008 to manage new lands and operate new park facilities. In 2008, the system consisted of 72 units, including State Parks, State Recreation Areas, State Natural Areas, State Rivers, State Trails, and State Lakes, protecting a wide diversity of environments from the highest mountains in the eastern US to forests, rivers, sandhills and coastal barrier islands. • The total size of the system as of December 2008 was 204,847 acres. Visitation in 2008 was 12,483,887 visits. • Through master planning and general management planning efforts, future land acquisition needs of more than $394 million and future facility construction needs of more than $417 million have been identified. The system’s statutory mandate is to protect representative examples of the state’s significant archaeological, geological, scenic, recreational, and biological resources. These resources have been categorized into 108 themes in order to track how well the system is accomplishing this mandate. • Significant progress has been made in recent years to improve the representation of these themes in the system. Seventeen biological themes are better represented than five years ago; four of these are now considered adequately protected. • Priorities for protection of under-represented themes include fossils, caves and sinks, grass and heath balds, mafic glades and barrens, and brownwater floodplains. Major trends that will affect public recreation in North Carolina include projections for continued population growth and land development. North Carolina continues to experience significant in- migration, and average life expectancy is increasing. In addition to population growth, outdoor recreation demand has also been fueled by increased participation. These trends underscore the importance of conserving land and water resources, providing additional recreational opportunities in appropriate places, and developing environmental education facilities and programs to enhance appreciation for the state’s natural heritage and to support efforts to promote public health. i During October 2008, public meetings were held and an on-line survey was conducted to give the public an opportunity to comment on the current status of the state parks system and to express their preferences for how the system should function in the future to meet their needs. • The five most popular facilities in the parks system were found to be hiking trails, nature trails, picnic tables with grills, multi-use trails, and observation decks. • More than 95 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “NC should add new parks to provide additional recreational opportunities”. • More than 93 percent agreed that “It is important to protect natural and scenic resources by acquiring land even if these areas may not be accessible to the public until planning, design and funding are in place to be developed as park units.” North Carolina’s state parks contribute about $289 million to local economies annually as well as $120 million to local residents’ income, according to a study by researchers at N.C. State University. The Division of Parks and Recreation also provides technical assistance to local parks and recreation departments through Recreation Resources Service, a cooperative partnership between the division and the NC State University Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS The current economic downturn has reduced the funding available for state park land acquisition and facility development, but has increased demand for the low-cost recreational opportunities offered in the state parks. Public support for open space protection and new park units remains high. There is a continuing need to protect important natural resources and to provide outdoor recreation opportunities. It will also be important for the state parks system to continue to improve in other ways. Four strategic directions were identified: Continue Expansion of the State Parks System Continue to implement New Parks for a New Century, evaluate and prioritize the natural resources of the state, identify appropriate protection targets, complete high priority land acquisitions, and plan and construct appropriate public recreation facilities. Provide the Best Possible Visitor Experience Get more and better feedback on visitor needs and perspective; use that information to make improvements in visitor information, facilities and operation; and improve organizational collaboration to focus on visitor experience. Increase Efficiency and Reduce Costs Design sites and facilities to reduce maintenance and energy costs, take advantage of technological advances to improve data management and communication, including the new centralized reservation system, and explore ways of increasing revenues and volunteer support. Support Local Economic Development Increase support for and participation in regional tourism initiatives and local planning projects, provide grants for local recreation providers, lead and support regional trail and greenway planning efforts, and support local schools and universities with educational programming and partnerships. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page E XECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... i I. A CCOMPLISHMENTS : 2000-2008 ....................................................................................... 1-1 Establishing New Units .................................................................................................... 1-1 Land Protection ................................................................................................................ 1-7 Contribution of State Parks to Local Economies ............................................................. 1-9 Partnerships for Conservation Across North Carolina ................................................... 1-11 Capital Improvements .................................................................................................... 1-12 Park Operations .............................................................................................................. 1-16 Natural and Cultural Resource Protection ..................................................................... 1-19 Interpretation and Education .......................................................................................... 1-23 Planning ......................................................................................................................... 1-26 State Trails Program ...................................................................................................... 1-28 II. S TATE OF THE SYSTEM ...................................................................................................... 2-1 System Units .................................................................................................................... 2-1 Types of Units .................................................................................................................. 2-4 Visitation .......................................................................................................................... 2-5 Visitor Facilities ............................................................................................................... 2-7 Overview of Division Programs ...................................................................................... 2-8 Future Needs .................................................................................................................. 2-12 III. R ESOURCE EVALUATION ................................................................................................... 3-1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3-1 Evaluation .......................................................................................................................