Today Governor Josh Stein announced more than $9.8 million in grants to fund 25 local parks and recreation projects across the state through the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). PARTF is administered by North Carolina State Parks, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
“North Carolina’s natural beauty and outdoor recreation help make our state such a great place to live, work, and visit,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These investments will support local economies, help bring more visitors to our state, and improve North Carolinians’ health and quality of life.”
Including the $4 million awarded through the Helene Recovery Fund earlier this year, PARTF has provided nearly $14 million in county and municipal grants this fiscal year. With local match requirements, those grants will leverage $43.5 million in funding for land acquisitions, new facilities, and renovations or improvements for parks and recreation facilities across North Carolina.
The program’s total recurring funding is split across state parks and DuPont State Recreational Forest, local municipalities and counties, and public beach and coastal accesses. Local communities apply to PARTF to fund land acquisition, new recreation facilities, or improvements to existing parks. A maximum of $500,000 can be awarded to a single project, and the awardees must match funds dollar for dollar for the grant amount.
“Our communities thrive when they are able to strengthen public health and improve quality of life for their residents,” said DNCR Secretary Pamela Cashwell. “These grants bring much-needed parks, trails, and recreational facilities and a chance for people to connect with their neighbors.”
This year, PARTF considered 42 grant applications requesting a total of more than $15.5 million. Of those, 25 projects were funded at the full request, and one was offered partial funding. The Parks and Recreation Authority approved the grant recipients at its Aug. 28 meeting.
| Applicant | County | Project Name | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | Alamance | Alson Quarter | $500,000 |
| Town of Brookford | Catawba | Brookford Community Park | $193,031 |
| Town of Cornelius | Mecklenburg | Land Acquisition for Cornelius Park | $500,000 |
| City of Creedmore | Granville | Creedmoor Community Center | $238,323 |
| Currituck County | Currituck | Community Park | $500,000 |
| City of Dunn | Harnett | C.B. Codrington Park Improvements | $500,000 |
| Town of Elon | Alamance | Skatepark at Beth Schmidt Park | $362,500 |
| Town of Garysburg | Northampton | Fig and Poplar Park | $339,225 |
| Town of Granite Falls | Caldwell | Shuford Recreation Expansion | $371,950 |
| Town of Jefferson | Ashe | Foster-Tyson Park / Northern Peaks State Trailhead Upgrade | $235,175 |
| Town of Long View | Catawba | Long View Recreation Center | $187,425 |
| Macon County | Macon | Veterans' Memorial Park | $500,000 |
| Town of Mars Hill | Madison | Bone Camp Creek on Bailey Mountain | $500,000 |
| Morehead City | Carteret | Spooner Creek Conservation Nature Park | $500,000 |
| Town of Nashville | Nash | Stoney Creek Environmental Park | $500,000 |
| City of New Bern | Craven | Martin Marietta Park | $500,000 |
| Town of Newport | Carteret | Newport Community Park | $390,000 |
| Town of Norwood | Stanly | Lake Tillery Park | $294,325 |
| Pender County | Pender | Abbey Nature Preserve Trailhead | $500,000 |
| City of Salisbury | Rowan | Salisbury Event Center | $500,000 |
| Town of Sandyfield | Columbus | Sandyfield Park | $197,146 |
| Stokes County | Stokes | Francisco Park | $142,158 |
| Town of Wallace | Duplin | Farrior Park | $356,131 |
| Town of Warsaw | Duplin | Warsaw Memorial Park | $500,000 |
| Yadkin County | Yadkin | Yadkin Memorial Park | $500,000 |
| Total | $9,807,389 | ||
To see how the Stein Administration is investing in the state’s natural beauty in your county, check out the 100 Counties Strong dashboard.
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