Last Updated on December 8, 2024 10:18 am
Raleigh, NC – Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) was recently awarded $453,800 from the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation’s Complete the Trails (CTP) program for the Northern Peaks State Trail (NPST) in Ashe County. The grant awards help to fund the purchase of over 68 acres on Mount Jefferson that will be added to Mount Jefferson State Natural Area.
“Trails bring incredible benefits to rural communities, boosting tourism and economic development,” said N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary D. Reid Wilson. “This generous funding made possible by the General Assembly and Governor Roy Cooper will help transform the state trails system in the Great Trails State.”
The CTP was created through 2021 legislation that provided $29.25 million for official state trails in North Carolina. Additional funding of $5 million was added in 2023. CTP funds are being used for land acquisition, capacity building, trail development, and small community grants. There are currently 14 state trails authorized by state law, including seven land-based trails, four paddle trails, and three that are a combination of paddle and land-based trails
“Blue Ridge Conservancy is grateful for the continued support of the Northern Peaks State Trail by the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Division of Parks and Recreation,” says NPST coordinator Jordan Sellers. “These grants are crucial to funding our land acquisition efforts on the northern terminus of the NPST and continue to support BRC’s mission of protecting land in the Amphibolite Mountains.”
