Haw River State Park Update Jan 10, 2008

Dear Friends, WOW!! What a beginning for 2008. While Hickory Nut Gorge and Chimney Rock were amazing additions to our "Best In The Nation" State Parks the Haw River State Park will prove to be an awesome recreational and educational experience for the Piedmont area of NC.

Friends of State Parks, was in the forefront of this effort to preserve these vital lands for protection of the natural history and heritage that contained artifacts of our culture dating back some 10,000 years. In addition the vision contained in the New Parks for a New Century outlined how important and urgent it was to protect the Haw River headwaters as an environmental "must"; and also provide recreational and educational opportunities for this growing yet under served area of the state. FSP is excited that thousands of supporters rallied to this successful effort and feels that our citizenry united in just causes will be heard and will prevail.

We have the right management in place, the newly formed Park Advisory Committee, The Haw River Association, Environmentalists and Wonderful Citizens of Guilford and Rockingham Counties as well as your Friends of State Parks organization.

What an awesome team of folks including the amazing team of dedicated public servants and stewards of our NC Division of Parks and Recreation.

Many hours of diligent work and prayers have been rewarded.

As the Master Plan for Haw River State Park moves forward many willing hands will be needed to make the plans, realities. The Greensboro REI store has already stepped up and have through their REI Giving program supplied this park with 6 new canoes and safety equipment. The store's personnel are already planning volunteer hours as the park develops.  

We in Friends of State Parks are honored to be one of the partners in the efforts to provide our citizens the best in conservation of our natural resources, heritage and recreational and educational opportunities that are second to none in the nation. Thank your members of the NC General Assembly, the Guilford and Rockingham County Commissions and most appropriately the folks in the NC Parks and Recreation Division for their vision and support of your state parks system.

John E. Graham

Friends of State Parks