North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation

This plan reviews the current state of outdoor recreation in North Carolina and outlines a visionary strategy to enhance outdoor experiences for all residents. It is built around four primary themes: Health & Wellbeing, Recreation for All, Resiliency, and Economic Impact. Key focus areas include promoting physical activity and mental rejuvenation, ensuring universal access to recreational opportunities, building sustainable and adaptive park systems, and stimulating business development, tourism, and community investment through parks.

This annual report for the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) for fiscal year 2024-2025 details the fund's allocation and projects designed to enhance state parks, local recreational facilities, and coastal access. The plan outlines funding distribution across various programs, including capital improvements and land acquisition for state parks, matching grants for local government park projects, and initiatives for public beach and coastal waterfront access, administered by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

The Parks and Recreation Authority meeting included discussions on local government grants, a mental health and state parks study, and local grant updates. The board also discussed state park system business, including funding available for FY24-25 and state parks requests. The meeting involved a presentation on recreational facility lifecycles, remarks from the Secretary, and updates on the impact of Hurricane Helene. Additionally, there were presentations on land acquisition and design development projects, capital projects, division updates, and a partnership with Waypoint Adventures to offer outdoor recreation experiences to people living with disabilities. Re-allocation of funds from previous PARTF awards to Hurricane Helene Emergency Repair was discussed.

The North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Plan for 2020-2025 focuses on meeting the outdoor recreation needs of a growing population while protecting natural resources. Key areas of focus include expanding recreation opportunities in growing areas, protecting natural areas, renovating aging facilities, promoting economic benefits through recreation, increasing equitable access, and supporting public health through physical activity. The plan addresses issues such as population growth, diminishing greenspace, aging infrastructure, limited opportunities in economically depressed areas, equity of access, and public health.