Through a number of awards, North Carolina is spending over $6.6 million on its trail system to expand and enhance the state trail network in nine counties. The funding will be used to support 17 property acquisition projects that are essential to the state’s trail growth, the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation announced. It is anticipated that over $42.9 million in matching funds from regional nonprofit state trail partners will increase the funding, which are taken from the Complete the Trails Program.
Four projects will receive CCST grants totaling more than $394,000 to assist trail construction in smaller communities with populations under 25,000, according to a press statement from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. According to D. Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, “Trails bring incredible benefits to rural communities, boosting tourism and economic development.”
The money comes from legislation passed in 2021 that allotted $29.25 million for state trails, plus an additional $5 million in 2023. These monies help with small community grants, capacity building, and property acquisition. In the upcoming months, a second round of CCST funding will be revealed.
Land-based and paddle trails are part of North Carolina’s trail network, which consists of 14 state trails and more than 3,800 planned miles. “State trails in North Carolina have grown tremendously over the last few years, and that growth would not be possible without generous funding from the state and the incredible work that our state trail partners have been doing on the ground,” stated State Parks Director Brian Strong in the same release. These pathways connect recreation and conservation in over 34 state parks, natural regions, and recreation sites.
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