Bike alliance invites local leaders to meeting
May 16—LENOIR — With its mountain peaks and rugged terrain juxtaposed to rolling hills and smooth low lying plains, Caldwell County is poised to become a leader in offering opportunities for the novice and high adventure hikers and mountain bikers.
The Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance extends an invitation to local leadership and land managers throughout Caldwell County to join them in a preliminary conversation about outdoor recreation activities and opportunities in ecotourism. The conversation will be held Thursday, May 19 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Waterlife Church in Lenoir.
Opportunities abound within Caldwell County to expand outdoor recreational activities and to promote eco-tourism.
Caldwell County has expanded with major industries recruiting local, state, and national candidates for employment. As potential employees consider where to move, and as new local graduates consider where to start their careers, a deciding factor on where they choose to work and live is based on the types of social and recreational activities the area has to offer. Jack Brown, board member and former president, Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance, said people are looking for a playground outside of work.
In addition, downtown areas throughout the county are emerging as economic hubs for small businesses including boutiques, restaurants, specialty and confection shops, as well as services including medical, dental, and law practices.
"We want stakeholders of this beautiful county of ours to come together for a common cause centered around outdoor recreation," said Brown. "We know what a beautiful gem we have in this county and we want others to know and benefit from it."
The city of Lenoir is the land manager for the Zack's Fork trail. The trail, which features 3 miles of off-road mountain biking as well as hiking, was developed and is maintained by the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance, a nonprofit organization. The multi-use trail is used for mountain biking, hiking, and running.
In addition to Zack's Fork trail in Lenoir, the alliance has also worked with leadership and land managers to develop trails throughout the region including: Boone, Hickory, Wilkesboro, and Morganton. The alliance works with U.S. Forest Service to develop and maintain trails for public use, including the expansion and revitalization of the mountain bike trails of the Mortimer Trails Project.
Brown said Thursday's (May 19) meeting is about getting people aligned with a common interest. The meeting will serve as a springboard for future conversations among land managers, stakeholders, and leadership of the city and towns that comprise Caldwell County.
Conversations will revolve around promoting existing opportunities for outdoor recreation and ecotourism, potential for the expansion of recreational activities, and evaluating current outdoor recreational opportunities in surrounding counties, and across the country, to consider how Caldwell County may customize trail features to suit its unique terrain.
A representative from the U.S. Forest Service as well as a representative from Appalachian State University (ASU) will be at the meeting. The representative with ASU will present an impact study as well as provide opportunities to review a similar scale project in Cherokee.
Information about the Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance may be found by visiting their website at ridenwnctrails.com.
