Four Million In Grants To Help Parks Recover From Helene
Yesterday, the State of North Carolina announced over $4 million in grants to fund 11 local parks and recreation projects in Western North Carolina through the Helene Recovery Fund for the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). This program is administered by the North Carolina State Parks, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
“PARTF has been an invaluable resource for building local parks for communities across the state, and we are proud for its legacy to include contributions to the state's Helene recovery," said State Parks Director Brian Strong. "We are grateful to legislators and Governor Stein for their support for parks, and we appreciate the Parks and Recreation Authority for its important role in allocating the funding."
The funding was made possible through Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 Part II. The $12.25 million allocation was divided so that state parks and DuPont State Recreational Forest received 65% and local governments received 35%. Unlike in the annual PARTF funding cycle, local government applicants did not have a cap on the grant amount they could request, but they still had to match the PARTF award dollar for dollar with other funding sources.
The grants were distributed as follows:
The City of Asheville in Buncombe County received $345,000 for Azalea Park.
Ashe County received $300,000 for Family Central Park in Jefferson.
Avery County received $987,500 for Hodge Turbyfill Fields in Newland.
The Town of Banner Elk in Avery County received $204,201 for Tate-Evans Park.
The Town of Beech Mountain in Watauga County received $353,250 for Shane Park.
Buncombe County received $284,368 for boat launch replacements on the French Broad River.
The Town of Canton in Haywood County received $403,804 for Sorrells Street Park.
The City of Hendersonville in Henderson County received $361,762 for Sullivan Park.
The Town of Montreat in Buncombe County received $307,274 for Flat Creek.
The Town of Seven Devils in Watauga County received $117,716 for repairs on the Otter Falls Trail.
Watauga County received $494,000 for Cove Creek Park in Sugar Grove.
