United Community Bank gives $25K to Ecusta Trail; Polk County buys 140 acres
United Community Bank recently announced it has donated $25,000 to Conserving Carolina for the Ecusta Trail development.
“The impact of Ecusta Trail, in many ways, especially business, trade and travel, will likely be the most significant catalyst to our local economy in my lifetime,” said Fair Nabers Waggoner, City President of United Community Bank’s Hendersonville branch in a news release.
According to the release, United has been working with community organizers of the Ecusta Trail since the formation of the plan, which is expected to be finished in 2027. Ecusta Trail will convert an abandoned rail line into a new cultural main street, connecting communities from Hendersonville to Brevard.
Conserving Carolina was formed in 2017 with the merger of the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and the Pacolet Area Conservancy. After collaborating on conservation projects, the two land trusts united, merging their resources, knowledge and expertise to elevate the impact and influence. The organization’s mission is to protect, restore and inspire appreciation of the natural world, the release said.
“We are truly moved by the deep generosity of United Community Bank in supporting the Ecusta Trail with this leadership-level gift," said Kieran Roe, Executive Director of Conserving Carolina. "It shows their dedication to a healthy and thriving community with more economic opportunity, more places for outdoor recreation, and better health for everyone. We hope that this donation will inspire more donors, so that we can meet our fundraising goal and build the long-awaited Ecusta Trail."
Polk buys 140 acres from Conserving Carolina
According to a news release from Conserving Carolina, a major expansion of the Polk County Recreation Complex is well underway, with 140 acres recently added to the park, a 7-10 mile trail system in the works and other recreational improvements coming soon.
In February, Polk County purchased 140 acres of land at Little White Oak Mountain as a bargain sale from Conserving Carolina. This is the second expansion of the park using land that Conserving Carolina protected at Little White Oak Mountain. The first phase added 300 acres to the park, followed by the recent 140-acre addition. That brings the park from its original size of 156 acres to its current size of 596 acres, which is nearly four times as large.
The expanded park adjoins Polk County Middle School and connects to the Green River Game Lands. It also connects to a future workforce housing development that will be built by the nonprofit Housing Assistance Corporation.
Polk is using the new land to create a network of trails for hiking, running and mountain biking. The planned 7-10 mile trail network will provide the only mountain biking trails in the county accessible to non-expert riders, the release said.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: United Community Bank gives $25K to Ecusta Trail; Polk County buys 140 acres
