Trail Reports by CML Staff

Does your family enjoy hiking and exploring our local forests, parks and trails? Follow our “Trail Reports” in each issue for some of the latest developments on trails and public lands, and to learn about opportunities to discover our region’s rugged mountain beauty.

Trail Reports: Winter 2021/22

By CML Staff

Foscoe Wetland Opens to the Public

A 10-acre wetland for birding is now open to the public in Foscoe, NC, thanks to a partnership between High Country Audubon Society (HCAS) and Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC). The property was donated in 2016 to the Conservancy, who partners with landowners and local communities to permanently protect natural resources with agricultural, cultural, recreational, ecological, and scenic value in northwest North Carolina.

“This area represents a natural habitat that is not that common in the High Country—a hardwood wetland,” said Debbie Shetterly of the High Country Audubon Society. “HCAS is happy to be able to help BRC provide public access to this habitat. Birders can expect to find birds such as the belted kingfisher, osprey, and several species of flycatchers, among many others.”

A wetland is an important area between dry land and water that creates a unique, saturated home for water loving plants and animals. A variety of birds, insects, amphibians, and other aquatic life visit and live in wetlands, creating a healthy mix of biodiversity. Along with providing habitat, wetlands act as filters, removing toxins and pollutants that would otherwise flow downstream. They also help control flooding.

A short trail constructed by American Conservation Experience leads to the wetland, but there are no official trails within the wetland. The Foscoe Grandfather

Tracy Swartout Belted Kingfisher / Photo by Joshua Cotten

Community Center allows public parking and access to the trail, located at 233 Park Rd, Banner Elk (off Hwy 105, on the Watauga River side). To learn more, visit www. blueridgeconservancy.org (Blue Ridge Conservancy), https://highcountryaudubon. org/ (HCAS), and https://www.epa.gov/ wetlands/.

Get to know The Blue Ridge Parkway’s Newest Superintendent

Superintendent Tracy Swartout joined the Blue Ridge Parkway team in mid-2021 and is the first woman to lead the Blue Ridge Parkway in its 86-year history. Swartout is a 21-year veteran of the National Park Service, and prior to her new role, she served as the deputy superintendent at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Prior to moving out west, Swartout served as the superintendent for Congaree National Park in South Carolina. She was recognized as the southeast region’s Superintendent of the Year.

“Throughout my life, the Blue Ridge Parkway has played a prominent role, with some of my most treasured memories being shaped along that winding road and in the national parks and communities beyond,” shared Swartout. “The area’s landscape, arts, music and culture are deeply meaningful for me.” Learn more about Superintendent Swartout and the Blue Ridge Parkway at https://www.nps.gov/.

North Carolina Invests in Trails

The General Assembly’s final budget, approved by the NC Senate and signed by Governor Cooper in November, includes $29.25M in nonrecurring funds in FY 21-22 for the Complete the Trails Fund, marking the first time North Carolina has made a significant direct investment in trails.

According to the Great Trails State Coalition, “This vital funding will lead to tremendous progress in building North Carolina’s 12 official State Trails.” These long-distance trails range from the French Broad River Trail in the mountains to the Roanoke River Trail in the northeastern part of the State. The longest trail is the Mountains-to-Sea Trail which runs 1,175 miles from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to the Outer Banks.

“Trail funding in the state budget is a landmark victory,” said Judge Robert C. Hunter, President of Friends of the Fonta Flora State Trail, Inc, and member of the Great Trails State Coalition. “The citizens of North Carolina will benefit from this cooperative effort whether a trail brings them recreational opportunities, healthy lifestyle choices, a positive economic impact, or transportation options.”

The Great Trails State Coalition is a broad-based group of more than 30 diverse organizations, agencies and supporters advocating for increased state investment in all types of trails statewide—hiking, paddle, mountain bike, equestrian, and shared-use paths. Learn more at www.greattrailsnc.org.