Catawba River Greenway gets $250,000 grant from N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund

From North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Press release

RALEIGH, N.C. – State officials today announced the award of $4.9 million in grants from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to 30 local governments for parks and recreation projects.

The matching grants, awarded by the Parks and Recreation Authority, will help fund land acquisition, development and renovation of public park and recreation areas. The authority considered 67 grant applications requesting $12.6 million. A maximum of $500,000 can be awarded to a single project.

“Through the local grant program of the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, state and local governments have been partners in providing open space, outdoor recreation opportunities and stimulus to local economies,” said Susan Kluttz, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “The result has been environmental stewardship, healthier citizens and improvements in the quality of life in North Carolina.”

The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund is administered through the Division of Parks and Recreation and was established in 1994 by the N.C. General Assembly. The revenue is distributed to three programs: 65 percent to the state parks system for repairs, capital improvements and land acquisition; 30 percent for matching grants to local parks and recreation programs for development and land acquisition; and 5 percent to the coastal beach access program.

Since 1995, the Parks and Recreation Authority has received 1,556 grant applications with requests totaling about $336 million. The board has awarded 810 grants for $181 million.

The local governments receiving grants in the most recent cycle are:

City of Albemarle, Chuck Morehead Park Renovation, $130.492;
Town of Bath, Bath Creek Park, $227,822;
City of Clinton, Royal Lane Park Phase 1, $250,000;
Town of Elizabethtown, Tory Hole Park Development, $250,000;
Town of Elk Park, Elk Park Town Park, $19,962;
Town of Enfield, Meyer-Oakview Neighborhood Park, $72,535;
Town of Fremont, J.R. Peele Park Improvements, $18,000;
Town of Garner, Garner Recreation Center, $217,500;
City of Goldsboro, Mina Weil Park, $250,000;
Town of Hoffman, Hoffman Town Park, $87,000;
Town of Holden Beach, Bridgeview Park, $183,370;
Town of Indian Trail, Crooked Creek Park, $156,400;
City of Kinston, Neuse River Greenway, $175,000;
Town of Leland, Westgate Nature Park, $217,500;
Town of Lexington, Washington Park, $217,500;
Town of Lillington, River Park, $250,000;
Town of Louisburg, Joyner Park, $217,500;
Town of McAdenville, McAdenville Park, $350,000;
McDowell County, Catawba River Greenway, $250,000;
City of Mt. Airy, Ararat River Greenway Connector, $250,000;
Town of North Topsail Beach, Development of South Park, $62,776;
Town of Oakboro, Oakboro Community Center, $139,400;
Town of Saratoga, Saratoga Park Phase IV, $46,358;
Town of Seven Devils, Otter Falls Park, $23,608;
Town of Scotland Neck, Scotland Neck Athletic Complex, $49,000;
Town of Spring Lake, Ruth Street Park Improvements, $63,250;
Town of Wallburg, Wallburg Town Hall Park, $244,902;
Town of Warrenton, Hayley-Haywood Park, $28,500;
Town of Wendell, Wendell Park Improvements, $250,000;
Town of Windsor, Treehouse Development and Acquisition, $198,700.

About the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
The Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 225,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 15 million visitors annually and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2016.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.