Planning for the future

The Rockingham County Partnership for Economic Development held a joint meeting Oct. 21 with the county’s Tourism Development Authority. The two boards combined to hear details of a new master plan developed for Haw River State Park, which encompasses property in both Rockingham and Guilford counties.

Lewis Ledford, director of the N.C. Division of State Parks and Recreation, was the guest speaker for the meeting, reminding board members that the State Parks system has been recognized as one of the best in the nation. Currently covering more than 206,000 acres across the state, the system has added about 35,000 acres within the last five years.

Haw River State Park was authorized in 2003, along with the Mayo River State Park. Haw River’s initial property acquisition included The Summit, a retreat and conference center originally owned by the Episcopal Diocese. This facility now operates as the state park division’s first residential environmental education center, and also provides conference facilities which can be rented for group activities.

Ledford emphasized the economic impact of state parks on the economies of both the state and local governments.

“The parks become economic engines that produce additional resources for local communities,” he said. “People make location decisions for travel based on what’s available in different areas, and parks are a big part of those decisions.”

The original 300-plus acres of the Haw River Park acquisitions more than tripled recently with an agreement to purchase 692 additional acres held by Bluegreen Corporation. The state will purchase the property – which was originally intended as a residential golf community – for $14 million. The purchase will be financed through certificates of participation, to be repaid by future revenues into the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

“This was an excellent example of how citizen involvement prevented this property from becoming a gated community and allowed us to preserve the land for everyone’s benefit,” Ledford said.

According to Ledford, the state park system generates approximately $400 million a year for the state’s economy. The average return on investment is $1.70 per $1 invested.

“Some parks, such as Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks, generate as much as $25 per dollar invested,” he said.

The new master plans drawn for Haw River State Park include development plans for the original acquisitions and new properties. The plans were unveiled in a public meeting at The Summit on Oct. 21 and will remain available for public viewing and comment on the N.C. Parks and Recreation website through Nov. 4.

Ledford said the development process for the park’s facilities would take 3-5 years, but officials wanted input from citizens in the surrounding community before beginning any development.

“The public in general, as well as the park’s neighbors, local governments and other agencies are encouraged to participate in the planning process,” he said.

To view the plans, go to http://www.ncparks.gov and navigate to the Haw River State Park’s home page. Then select the link to the Haw River State Park Master Plan. Several views of the plans are available there in PDF format, and there is a link to provide comments on the proposed plans.