Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene four weeks ago, both South Mountains State Park and Lake James State Park in North Carolina remain closed indefinitely, with no set reopening date in sight.
The Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is close to finalizing the preservation of 130 acres of land below the dams at Lake James in Burke County. Duke Energy is transferring easements on the land to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission as part of the Comprehensive Relicensing Agreement signed in 2006, with Foothills agreeing to monitor the easements in perpetuity.Â
A $1.24 million grant from the Greater Hickory Metropolitan Planning Organization and Western Piedmont Council of Governments will fund the construction of a pedestrian sidewalk across Canal Bridge on N.C. 126 in Burke County. The bridge will connect Fonta Flora State Park and Overmountain Victory Trails, facilitating the development of more state trails. Scheduled for construction in fall or winter, the walkway will span 480 feet on the eastern side of the bridge without disrupting automobile traffic. Local organizations have contributed to the project, and the effort has been a community-supported initiative to enhance pedestrian infrastructure in the area.
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