Lumber River Region: Regional Trails Map and Plan

REGIONAL LOOPS

NATIONAL AND STATE ROUTES

The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan includes routes that will

Mountains-to-Sea State Trail

connect to destinations such as Bladen Lakes State Forest and

East Coast Greenway

Lumber River State Park. The regional routes connect into a loop

Mountains-to-Sea State Trail- Coastal Crescent

system that will link Fayetteville and natural areas along the Cape

The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan is part of the larger

Fear and Lumber Rivers.

Southeastern North Carolina Regional Trails Plan. The four Councils of Government in the region each developed a trails plan. Trail systems of statewide or regional significance—such as the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail or the East Coast Greenway —are part of the larger vision for connecting people, places, and natural resources.

River White Oak Maysville JONES Maysville

p

Richlands

Sou thw est

Jacksonville

Cre ek

eek

wR

Ne

Creek

Ne

Run Savannas Natural Area

ive

r

ONSLOW

w Ri ve

Surf City

r

Holly Ridge Holly Ridge Holly Ridge North Topsail Beach Holly Ridge

Surf City

ail Beach e

Here Here Here Here

N

LUMBER RIVER REGION

Here

Lumber River Region

Regional Routes

Main Street Communities

Forests

Park/Forest

Area Routes

Cultural Sites

State and National Trail Systems

Municipalities

Local Connector

State Parks

LUMBER RIVER REGION SEGMENTS The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan features several segments

IMPLEMENTION PLAN Segment

that also connect within the larger trails plan for Southeastern North Carolina. The segments are shown on the map below, and implementation partners per segment are listed in the table to the

14

construction opportunities.

Strategies Planning; Coordination;

East Coast Greenway; Carolina

Funding; Right of Way;

Bay Lakes; State Parks

15

Planning; Coordination;

East Coast Greenway; Cape Fear

Funding; Right of Way;

River Trail

18

ABOUT THE REGION

The Lumber River Region encompasses

19

Scotland, Robeson, Bladen, Hoke, and Richmond counties and Main Street

20

among other cities and towns. The region

21

also boasts a variety of State Parks, including

FOR MORE INFORMATION 000.000.0000 www.website.org

15. Bushy Lake to Fayetteville 18. Fayetteville

trails will paved and others on natural surface - all are intended to be separated from the roadway.

Natural Surface Trails

22. L umber River State Park to Bladen Lakes State Forest

22

20. Laurinburg Connector

All American Trail; Lumber River

Often located in a wooded environment

Trail Development

from roadways.

Long Leaf Pine Habitat

Funding; Right of Way;

Paved Greenway Trails

Trail Development

12 – 16’ wide, typically constructed of concrete or asphalt.

Lumber River

Funding; Right of Way;

Often located within utility and/or stream

Trail Development

easements, and away from roadways.

Planning; Coordination;

Lumber River Paddle Trail;

Funding; Right of Way;

Lumber River State Park; Lumbee

Trail Development

Tribe

Planning; Coordination;

Lumber River State Park; Lumbee

Funding; Trail

Tribe; Bladen Lake State Park

Paved Side Paths 10 – 12’ wide, typically constructed of concrete or asphalt.

Often located parallel to roadways.

Development

23. Lake Waccamaw Connector

19. Rockingham Connector

2 ½ - 3’ wide, typically constructed of dirt.

23

Planning; Coordination;

Lake Waccamaw State Park;

Funding; Right of Way;

Waccamaw Siouan Tribe

Paddle Trail (Blueway) Located on waterbody (e.g. river, creek, estuary, etc.)

Trail Development

Width of the paddle trail is dependent

21. Wagram to Lumber River State Park

upon waterbody of where it is located.

BENEFITS

BY THE NUMBERS

PLANNING PROCESS

Regional trails provide options for traveling to regional destinations on

The Lumber River Regional Trail Plan encompasses 4 counties and

In a public survey, respondents across the study area were asked

foot or by bicycle, increase tourism, improve public health, and mitigate

provides for a total population of 300,962 people. The regional trail

which benefits of trails they most wanted to see from a regional

flood risk.

system connects to dozens of towns, parks, historic sites, game lands,

trail system. The results show a strong interest in using trails

Trail Tourism: A study in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia noted

and forest lands.

improve health and wellness and quality of life.

that, in addition to Virginia residents visiting local trails, 1/3 of trail visitors were from out-of-state. People making these extended trips to the region often include overnight hotel stays and spending on food and services.

Economic Impact: The North Carolina Department of Transportation studied trail systems in different regions of the state; finding that for every $1.00 spent on trail construction, $1.72 is generated annually from

210

Benefit Ranking ( 1 = Highest Priority) 1. Economic Development # of total miles of proposed trails in region

2. Increase Tourism 3. Improve Quality of Life 4. Health and Wellness

local business revenue, sales tax revenue, and other benefits related

5. Access to Destinations

health and transportation savings.

6. Create Community Identity

Access to Recreation, Nature, and History: Several established trail

7. Environmental Protection

systems in southeastern North Carolina connect people to historic downtowns, nature centers, and local parks, including the Cape Fear

LUMBER RIVER

corridors are developed, trails will take on different forms. Some

and/or close to bodies of water, and away

Planning; Coordination;

Communities Laurinburg and Lumberton,

State Park, and Jones Lake State Park.

destinations such as State Parks and protected forests. As plan

Funding; Right of Way; Planning; Coordination;

14. Wilmington to Bushy Lake

The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan connects urban centers to

Trail Development Planning; Coordination;

Lumber River State Park, Singletary Lake

Unique Regional Features

Trail Development

right. After adopting the regional plan, partners will study segments to determine more specific alignments, right-of-way needs, and

TRAIL TYPES

River Trail in Fayetteville; the Kinston Riverwalk; and the Gary Shell Cross City Trail in Wilmington.

Health Outcomes: Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC and the American Heart Association cite research that says that for $1 invested in building trails,

1 mile of proposed trail per 1,433 residents in region

Flooding and Environmental Improvements: The Federal Emergency

REGIONAL TRAILS PLAN

damages are saved when a floodplain is restored, including trail corridors

Created for the Lumber River Council of Governments in partnership with North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation

Safety: Trails and greenways separated from roads decrease the risk that

that protect natural buffers and habitats. pedestrians or cyclists will be injured or killed on roads when involved in crashes with vehicles. Proven countermeasures can be implemented at a relatively low-cost to improve safety at trail crossings.

Survey Highlight: Lumber River Region

“[My favorite trails are at]

nearly $3 in medical cost savings may be achieved.

Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that $1.1 billion in annual flood

8. Increase Property Value

402

Lumber River State Park, total # of proposed miles of major loops in region

but the trails are less than 2 miles total.”