Press release from city of Brevard:
[BREVARD, N.C., July 6, 2023] – Just two weeks after Senator Thom Tillis identified the City of Brevard as the recipient of a $24.5 million RAISE grant for the Ecusta Trail, the Federal Highway Administration announced today that Brevard has been awarded a $21.4 million grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program (NSFLTP). According to NCDOT, the RAISE and NSFLTP grants have been dually awarded, bringing the total award to more than $45 million.
The NSFLTP provides funding for the construction or rehabilitation of nationally significant transportation infrastructure that connects to Federal or tribal lands. While there are some differences between the RAISE and NSFLTP grants in terms of how the funding can be used, they both attest to USDOT’s recognition of the Ecusta Trail as an important investment in safe, reliable transportation infrastructure.
In their letter of support, the U.S. Forest Service described how the Ecusta Trail project “supports the Forest Service goals to contribute to the communities of western North Carolina by increasing access to public lands and creating opportunities for economic development through tourism and sustainable recreation.”
The Ecusta Trail will serve as a multimodal gateway to Pisgah National Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Qualla Boundary, providing an alternative to driving into Pisgah National Forest for those looking to avoid road traffic at and beyond the Forest entrance. Both NCDOT and the USFS have expressed concerns over visitors parking on the roadway shoulder in Pisgah during periods of heavy traffic. As a result, the edges of the roadway often erode into the river, necessitating frequent road patching and creating water quality issues. The Ecusta Trail stands to address these parking, safety, and environmental concerns by providing new options for access to Pisgah and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“This game-changing grant fills a major gap in the funding needed to complete construction of the Ecusta Trail and provides a tremendous boost towards making the dream a reality,” said Kieran Roe, Executive Director of Conserving Carolina. “Conserving Carolina is grateful for the leadership of the City of Brevard in pursuing this opportunity and for the strong partnership of organizations and community leaders that came together to develop this successful grant.”
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