NC State Parks: For Sale or Rent

A couple of years ago I caught some good natured grief around the office when I purchased a N.C. State Parks license plate for my car.  Sometime later in a meeting, the person leading the meeting said, “I got behind Dale this weekend heading out of Raleigh.  I knew it was him because of that state parks plate.  I figured he was heading over to Umstead (State Park) for one of those ranger walks.”  We all laughed.

Hammock Beach State Park
www.ncparks.gov

North Carolina’s state parks are true gems and worthy of our support ($20 of each personalized tag goes to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund).  I’ve been fortunate to experience the parks from Jockey’s Ridge to Hammock Beach over to the Lumber River back to the Dismal Swamp, slept in the cabins at Morrow Mountain and climbed all over Hanging Rock and Stone Mountain.  A favorite experience (I'm a simple guy) was watching a potato chip bag swell to the point of bursting on top of Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi.  And while there is a charge for concessions, entry into the parks is free.  So, I figure an extra $20 for my license plate is worth helping support the parks.

Recent news articles in the Winston Salem Journal and the Raleigh News and Observer reveal a  move to grant exclusive access to Pilot Mountain State Park to a vintage car club, the Vintage Triumph Register.  On the surface, this seems like a perfect collision of two of my interests – cars and state parks.  The thought of sports cars winding their way up the approach road to the top of “Jomeokee” sounds exciting and challenging.  But, there are two aspects that are disturbing.

Pilot Mountain State park
www.ncparks.gov

First, I experienced the Chimney Rock Hill Climb during my days as an officer in Rutherford County.  At that time the park was privately owned (it is now a state park) so the owners determined what activities to hold and who would/could attend.  The event drew a large number of spectators who lined the road to watch the competitors.  After several years, the owners decided that the trampled vegetation and noise were not worth the money.  The environmental impact was significant.

Second, shutting out the public to benefit a small number of people goes against the premise of our parks being a public trust resource that is managed for all people.  I am completely in favor of multi-use of those lands and I support concessionaires who help others enjoy the park.  It makes perfect sense to charge a reasonable fee for using shelters and campsites.  But, to consider closing the largest section of the park for a few guys in their little British sports cars strikes me as wrong.  Would this even be a consideration if this request was from the good ole boys in Surry County who wanted to race 4x4 trucks up the mountain?  I think not.

I guess the most troubling aspect is the decision process (or lack of) for this request.  There is nothing that indicates staff requirements and the impact of the natural resources has been considered.  In all fairness, it would probably be minimal – they are requesting one day.  And afterall the park will be closed to all except a select few. 

It seems as though our parks can become the private playground for the wealthy donors to political campaigns.  Not only can a shelter be rented for the day, for enough money you can get the whole dang park.