News Release »
| Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor | Dee Freeman, Secretary |
| N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources |  |
| Release: Immediate | Contact: Charlie Peek | |
| Date: 2009-10-13 | Phone: (919) 715-8709 |
Public Meeting Will Consider Haw River State Park Master Plan
RALEIGH -- As part of the process to create a master plan for Haw River State Park in Guilford and Rockingham counties, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will conduct a public meeting Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. at the park’s The Summit Environmental Education Center.
Proposed conceptual plans for the state park will be presented and the public will be able to offer comments to officials of the state parks system and Swanson and Associates, P.A., a Carrboro-based landscape architecture firm responsible for completing the plan.
“Creating a truly great state park is always a partnership effort between the state parks system and the community,” said Lewis Ledford, division director. “Haw River State Park has benefited from strong support in the community, and it’s important that citizens there continue to be involved it its development.”
A state park’s master plan is essentially a blueprint for long-term development of facilities and recreation opportunities and a guide for protection of natural resources. It is meant to be an organic document, evolving as the park grows and as knowledge is gained about a park’s natural resources and public use.
The N.C. General Assembly authorized Haw River State Park in 2003, and it now encompasses 1,334 acres, including the 200-acre campus of The Summit, formerly operated by the Episcopal Diocese, and which now operates as an environmental education, conference and training center. In 2008, the park acquired 692 acres that at one time, was to be developed as a residential golf community by Bluegreen Corp.
Written comments about the master plan concepts will be accepted at the meeting and afterwards through Nov. 4. Comments can be directed through email at dpr.masterplancomments@ncdenr.gov or mailed to: Haw River State Park Master Planning, N.C Division of Parks and Recreation, 1615 MSC, Raleigh, NC, 27699.
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