State Parks is now in the new Department of Natural and Cultural Resources! Please see the email below from our new Secretary Susan Kluttz on September 18.

Welcome to the new N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources! With this name change, four divisions - the N.C. Zoological Park, the N.C. Aquariums, N.C. the N.C. State Parks, the N.C. Museums of Natural Sciences, along with the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and the Natural Heritage Program - create the Nature component to join with Arts, History and Library into one great agency. Together, we will continue to promote all of the state-owned treasures that make North Carolina such an amazing place. We truly value all of these rich assets and their contribution to our State's quality of life, and we are committed to making sure they are protected and supported. I am thrilled that you will be joining our team.

We look forward to incorporating your efforts toward conservation of N.C.'s natural heritage to our current focus on preserving, protecting and promoting the state's cultural resources. In addition, it's clear we already share an incredible mission in education. Most importantly, you will be joining a team of professional, passionate and innovative people - just like you - who are looking forward to learning from you and growing with you. I am confident that, together, we will become even stronger as we collaborate on our joint vision to being leaders in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. We are excited to be working with you. I recognize that with such a change, you may have questions. Many of your divisions' leaders have been working with us for the past few months to prepare for this transition.

Please check our list of Frequently Asked Questions at http://portal.ncdenr.org/group/denr <http://portal.ncdenr.org/group/denr> or send your specific questions to transferinfo@ncdcr.gov <mailto:transferinfo@ncdcr.gov> and we will try to get an answer to you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience as we work through other details together. It is our goal to minimize any disruptions for you and of the effective services you provide while we simultaneously try to effectively build our expanded department. I am also available to you, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. 

With warm regards, Susan Susan W. Kluttz, Secretary 

North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources 

919-807-7250 office 919-733-1564 fax susan.kluttz@ncdcr.gov <mailto:susan.kluttz@ncdcr.gov> 

109 East Jones Street 4601 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4601

NC Senate Bill 486 Propose to Swap Lands between Umstead State Park and RDU Airport, May 20 2015

Fortunately, this bill is 'on-hold' (and we hope 'dead') in the Senate Rules and Operations Committee.  Senator John Alexander has reached out to The Umstead Coalition to let us know that IF the bill goes forward, he would bring the various parties together to work out a solution that would help all parties.

Map of proposed swap:  S486 5-21-15 RDU Umstead_map May 2015 cropped.pdf

Senate Bill 486, Version 5-20-15: s486v2 transfer of Park land proposed May 20, 2015.pdf    

Key issues include:

• Taking of State Park land that is not consistent with the Park Master Plan, nor any public input planning process
• Not including the single-track trails of Rocky Road and 286 area
• RDU would be able to develop as close as 20 feet from Reedy Creek Trail along the trail section from the Airport overlook to almost Park gate on Old Reedy Creed Road
• Conversion of existing State Park land to other uses without Master Planning and public input
• Loss of our forested land on north side of Glenwood Ave
• Creation of another Trust Fund that will add increased fees at 39 State Parks that will benefit the other 1 State Park
• Proposed reliance on Park admission fees to fund this new Trust Fund (and those fees won't even be used in the State Parks for which they would be collected!)
• Excluding trails from environmental regulations related to trail construction, maintenance and removal

To find your House or Senate member, you can do so at the link below:

http://www.ncleg.net/Representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx

Senate Bill 486 sponsors from Wake County:

Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net

John.Alexander@ncleg.net

The Honorable Governor Pat McCrory was at the William B. Umstead State Park Visitor Center to commemorate the 100th anniversary of NC State Parks on March 3, 2015.

More: http://umsteadcoalition.org/Centennial-Proclamation

Dr. Jean Spooner was presented with the "Locke Craig Award" by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation on March 3, 2015 for her dedication and service to William B. Umstead State Park.  She accepted with a message of gratitude to the thousands of volunteers who have supported William B. Umstead State Park.

Dr. Spooner accepting Locke Craig Award