Beverly Eaves Perdue
Governor
State of North Carolina
20301 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
March 31, 2009
Contact: Chrissy Pearson
(919) 733-0767 office
(919) 215-4669 cell
GOV. PERDUE SIGNS LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN STATE PARK
RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue today signed legislation formally authorizing
Grandfather Mountain as the state’s newest state park.
An agreement for the state to purchase the undeveloped, backcountry
portion of Grandfather Mountain was announced in September. Funding for
the $12 million acquisition will come equally from the Parks and
Recreation and Natural Heritage trust funds. Grandfather Mountain State
Park will be comprised of these 2,456 acres, which the state will
purchase from the Morton family later this spring.
“The creation of a signature state park at Grandfather Mountain is big
step in adding to the quality of life and beauty of our great state
while we also preserve North Carolina’s spectacular public lands for
future generations,” said Gov. Perdue. “Thanks to the Morton
family
and our conservation partners, visitors from inside and outside of
North Carolina will be able to enjoy the majesty of this wonderful
mountain for generations to come.”
House and Senate authorization bills had 48 co-sponsoring legislators.
The primary sponsor of Senate Bill 89 was Sen. Joe Sam Queen, of
Haywood County. Primary sponsors of House Bill 128 were Reps. Phillip
Frye of Mitchell County, Edgar Starnes of Caldwell County, and Cullie
Tarleton of Watauga County.
The heirs of company founder Hugh Morton will continue to operate the
travel destination with its nature center, wildlife habitats and
“mile-high” swinging bridge on a paid admission basis. The acquisition
agreement gives the state a conservation easement on 749 acres of the
original property where the attraction is located. The state parks
system is coordinating an interim management plan with the Morton
family for the backcountry property and its 12 miles of trails.
The acquisition was arranged in 2008 with the help of The Conservation
Fund and one of its directors, Mike Leonard, and The Nature
Conservancy, which holds conservation easements on the mountain and
surrounding properties totaling close to 4,000 acres. The property lies
in Watauga, Avery and Caldwell counties, and contains the headwaters of
both the Watauga and Linville rivers. Developed as an attraction by
Hugh Morton in the 1950s, it boasts 73 rare species and is
distinguished by the 5,946-foot Calloway Peak.