NCOREC Recommends Legislative Action for Recovery and Rebuilding of Western North Carolina’s Outdoor Economy Post-Hurricane Helene

November 20, 2024

The North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NCOREC) announced today a dedicated slate of legislative requests needed to rebuild Western North Carolina’s outdoor economy.

November 20, 2024 – Asheville, NC /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NCOREC) announced today a dedicated slate of legislative requests needed to rebuild Western North Carolina’s outdoor economy, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. As part of a unified, multi-agency approach, NCOREC advocates for significant legislative support and orchestrating direct relief initiatives to revive the region’s outdoor recreation industry, a cornerstone of North Carolina’s economy.

“We are inspired and humbled by the enthusiasm and support from our partners across the outdoor recreation industry coming together to rebuild the businesses, trails, parks, and access points that form the backbone of our region,” said David Billstrom, Vice Chairman of NCOREC. “This coalition effort, supported by the outdoor industry, non-profits focused on outdoor recreation, as well as local and state agencies, is focused on immediate, targeted relief to sustain our community and the environment in which we all thrive.”

Legislative Priorities for Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding

NCOREC is recommending legislative action on Five Key funding opportunities:

• #1: Direct Financial Support for Impacted Businesses:
  • Grant-Based Relief for Small Businesses: NCOREC is advocating for relief funding similar to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) used during the pandemic, but specifically in the form of grants, not loans. This funding addresses a critical gap between lost revenue and available federal support, such as FEMA assistance, which does not adequately cover revenue loss or inventory replacement.
  • NCOREC recommends a grant program limited to small businesses in WNC with fewer than 100 employees and more than 2 full-time employees, supporting those that lost significant revenue in the weeks following Hurricane Helene. Target funding is 20% of the prior year’s annual revenue per business (to a maximum of $400,000) with an estimated program cost of $88 Million to support approximately 400 companies.
• #2: Promotion to Restore Outdoor Recreation Visitors:
  • $25 Million for a 2-year program to promote visitors to return to WNC by VisitNC.
  • Of the additional $25 Million, allocate $7 Million for the Office of Outdoor Economy in the Department of Commerce Rural Economic Development Division to create a multi-year marketing campaign, which will promote the outdoor recreation-based businesses, events, and resources that draw tourists to Western NC.
• #3: Rebuilding Local Parks and Outdoor Recreational Spaces:
  • Funding for Local Parks and Recreation Restoration: NCOREC seeks legislative support to earmark funds for the restoration of local parks and recreational areas, such as Madison County’s Barnard Park, a high-impact, low-cost project. The funding request will align with recommendations from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), including updates from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF).
  • To jump-start recovery, NCOREC recommends a one-time allocation of $50 million to PARTF for Helene-related recovery, with at least 50% dedicated to the impacted area. The local match requirement of traditional PARTF grants would be reduced to 5% for this one-time program only.
• #4: Trail Debris Removal and Recovery:
  • NCOREC is advocating for a total of $25 million in funding to the Department of Natural Resources, to be managed in consultation with the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the Department of Commerce. Funds will be managed by the DNCR, in consultation with the NC Outdoor Economy Office, and would include not only contracted projects for debris removal, restoration, and new trails on state lands as well as non-state lands, but also make grants available to non-profit organizations already maintaining trails such as the Great Trails State Program, Legacy Trails Program, Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, Pisgah SORVA, and the land conservancies with experience building and maintaining trails.
  • An Additional $2 Million for training and certification of workers, including volunteers, in trail maintenance and construction, including a program to train/certify additional instructors to expand the total number of trained trail workers. Program to be administrated by the NC Community Colleges in the Helene-affected area.
• #5: Comprehensive Stream Debris Removal and Stabilization:
  • $8 Million for River Debris Removal in Partnership with MountainTrue: NCOREC’s legislative goals include funding for a stream debris removal project covering major river sheds, including but not limited to the French Broad, North and South Toe, and Nolichucky, Cane, Broad, Green, Catawba, and Watagua Riversheds. This funding will cover critical needs, including heavy equipment, a 200-person workforce for 6 months, vehicles, administrative costs, and overhead.
  • Along with the debris removal, NCOREC recommends stabilizing and improving access trails and access points.
  • This work will support local communities, visitor-dependent businesses, and the broader outdoor recreation infrastructure.

How You Can Help

NCOREC invites community members, industry partners, and outdoor enthusiasts to stand with us in rebuilding WNC’s outdoor economy. Contact your local representatives to express your support for increased recovery funding for Western North Carolina.

NCOREC welcomes charitable donations to the “WNC Strong: Rebuilding Together Grant Fund,” for cash grants to businesses (https://www.mountainbizworks.org/helene/wnc-strong-rebuilding-together-grants-2/) and “Rebuild Black Mountain” for cash grants dedicated to rebuilding outdoor spaces throughout WNC.

Visit NCOREC.com to learn more about how you can help or reach out directly at info@ncorec.com to get involved.

About the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NCOREC)

Founded in 2017, the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NCOREC) provides a unified voice for North Carolina’s $28 billion outdoor recreation industry. We are a non-profit trade association made up of member companies and organizations, and we advocate on behalf of the industry at the North Carolina General Assembly and within executive agencies.

Our goals are to promote existing outdoor recreation companies, recruit new companies to locate in North Carolina, and increase public access to outdoor recreation. Our members include manufacturers, retailers, guide companies, and conservation NGOs. Together we are the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition.

For more information, to join the coalition, or to support recovery efforts, visit NCOREC.com, follow us on LinkedIn, or email info@ncorec.com.

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Media Contacts:

David Billstrom
828-417-2222
david@flashingredlight.com

Fitzalan Crowe
703-596-2020
fitzalan@crowloft.com