Carolina Mountain Club

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January 31, 2007

Hiking News | CMC Calendar

        Please send me your hiking news, hike and maintenance reports by Monday evening before the newsletter comes out, that is, by Monday evening February 12, 2007 to Danny Bernstein danny@hikertohiker.org. Include your email address at the end of your story. Thank you.

       For CMC members only - Send all address and email changes to Jean Gard at jeangard@charter.net.

What's Happening in the next two weeks

February 3, 2007 – FMST Annual meeting in Greensboro, NC.

February 3, 2007 – FMST Annual meeting in Greensboro, NC. This all day meeting will highlight the many accomplishments of 2006 and the goals of 2007. This years guest speaker will be Susan Mills, Executive Director of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Both Bryan Huntsinger and Johnny Massey will receive their MST plaques for hiking the entire MST across North Carolina. We will also have reports from the National Park Service and NC Division of Parks and Recreation. We will discuss where the MST trail construction will be talking place in 2007 across the state as we continue to close in on some MST gaps. If you are interested please RSVP to jdbrewer@bellsouth.net. Your RSVP is a must for planning our catered lunch which will cost $10.00 per person.

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Other Important News

New Interagency Recreation Pass Announced

(From the American Hiking Society e-newsletter, Jan. 2007)

In December, the Interior and Agriculture Departments announced a new interagency recreation pass. The new pass, created by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, authorized in 2004, combines the existing recreation passes from five federal agencies into one comprehensive pass, the “America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.” The new pass covers recreation opportunities on public lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the USDA Forest Service.

Access to most public lands remains free. The pass applies to those locations that currently have entrance or standard amenity fees. The new program replaces the Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and the Golden Access Passports as well as the National Parks Pass. Existing passes will remain valid until expired, lost or stolen. Sales of the new pass will begin in January 2007. One hundred percent of the revenue derived from passes sold at federal recreation sites will directly benefit the selling agency and no less than 80 percent of the revenue will remain at the site where the pass was sold. For more information or to purchase the pass...

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Will Congress make a New Year's Resolution to fund the National Parks?

(From the eBRP News, the eNews of the BRP Foundation, Jan. 2007)

Sadly, probably not. One hundred days into the new fiscal year, the National Parks are still operating under a continuing resolution approved by Congress that keeps spending at the same level as 2006.

Even when Congress finally approves the 2007 budget, it will provide only nominal operations increases that will not match inflationary pressures. As a result, there will be further reductions in park staffing and programs across the National Parks.

Last week, Phil Noblitt, the Blue Ridge Parkway's spokesperson retired, and due to current budget woes, Noblitt's job will not immediately be filled. It is one of 57 positions that have been allowed to lapse at the Blue Ridge Parkway. Superintendent Phil Francis reflected, "The parkway is currently "$1 million in the hole."

 
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Conservation

 GOV. EASLEY ANNOUNCES STATE AGREES TO PURCHASE CHIMNEY ROCK PARK

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley announced today that the state of North Carolina has agreed to purchase the landmark Chimney Rock Park in Rutherford County from the Morse family’s Chimney Rock Company.  The park will become the centerpiece of a new state park under development in Hickory Nut Gorge.  The agreement sets a purchase price of $24 million for the 996-acre park and its signature 315-foot spire that overlooks Lake Lure.

“Chimney Rock is one of the most visible images of our state’s landscape and giving it an honored place in our state parks system is a conservation success story for all North Carolinians,” Easley said.  “The Morse family has maintained careful stewardship of this land for generations and the state will continue to protect these natural resources.”

Funding for the acquisition comes from a $15 million appropriation in the state budget and various grants from the state’s Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage and Clean Water Management Trust funds.  A private donor, who wished to remain anonymous, also contributed $2.35 million for the purchase.

The agreement is the result of two years of negotiations between Chimney Rock Co. and the state.  Under the terms of the agreement, Chimney Rock Co. will continue to operate the park through 2007 while the state parks system develops an operations plan.

Chimney Rock Park has been a tourist attraction in western North Carolina since a stairway was built to the rock’s summit in 1885.  In 1902, Lucius B. Morse of Missouri bought the site and began developing the park.  Its facilities include a tunnel and elevator to the rock summit, a visitor center, nature center and a network of hiking trails to geologic points of interest and the 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls.

"As stewards of this special property for more than 100 years, our goal was to achieve an outcome that was the best result for the land, the community, our associates and our family," said Todd Morse, president and general manager of Chimney Rock Co.  "We're happy that the Morse family's legacy of stewardship will be formally recognized and shared with state park visitors for generations to come."

“Today we make sure this important landmark will be protected so future generations will be able to enjoy it as we can today,” said state Sen. Walter Dalton (D-Rutherford).  “Those of use who live in this area are thankful for the stewardship of the Morse family and grateful to all North Carolinians who recognize the importance of protecting our natural heritage.”

“I am delighted that we are adding nearly 1,000 acres of scenic western North Carolina’s to our state’s protected lands,” said state Rep. Bob England (D-Rutherford).  “I will continue to see that the state makes these kinds of investments to preserve North Carolina’s pristine resources.”

Chimney Rock Park adjoins property the state acquired for Hickory Nut Gorge State Park, a new state park slated to open in 2008.  The state parks system has acquired 2,264 acres on both sides of the rugged gorge for the state park.  The gorge has been considered a premier state park site in the system’s New Parks for a New Century initiative, which examined areas throughout the state as potential state parks or state natural areas and found the gorge to be a significant center of biodiversity and natural heritage.

For more information on the acquisition of Chimney Rock Park, please visit the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation website at http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/ncparks.html or call 919/715-8709.

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Heard on the Trail

New Zealand is a hiker's paradise!

The picture to the left is Mount Ngauruhoe, a volcano which is still steaming. The picture on the right is me on top of Ngauruhoe. Danny

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