Forest Service joins with Old Fort groups to build equitable, accessible trails in Pisgah
Karen ChávezLavita Logan grew up in Old Fort, playing outdoors with her sister and camping in the Pisgah National Forest and on the Blue Ridge Parkway with the Girl Scouts.
She laments that she doesn't see other Black people enjoying the woods as she once did.
But Logan, who still lives in Old Fort, is working hard to change the outdoors dynamic as the project consultant for People on the Move Old Fort, a Black-led community collaborative that engages residents in efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable town.
Working with Pisgah National Forest's Grandfather District and Camp Grier’s G5 Trail Collective, a nonprofit supporting backcountry trails, the groups will hold a Zoom meeting 5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 to discuss the Old Fort Trails Project and hear what the public would like to see in new forest trails.
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"There’s a lot of stigma behind Black people in the woods, given the history of what happened to us in the woods, so I’m working hard especially to get kids out in the woods," Logan said.
“I want the kids to experience that, swimming in lakes, camping, just enjoying nature, and adults, too, for health reasons.”
How did the Old Fort Trails Project get started?
Logan met Jason McDougald, executive of Camp Grier and its G5 Trail Collective, an arm of the nearly 50-year-old nonprofit Camp Grier, which aims to increase volunteerism and financial support for trails maintenance and development in the Grandfather District.
G5 stands for the five counties that comprise the Grandfather District – McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Avery and Watauga. The two realized they could help each other improve awareness and access to the forest that surrounds Old Fort.
McDougald had been talking with the Forest Service about trail development in McDowell County, where, he said, there's a lot of National Forest land but not a lot of trails.
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He wanted to help ease overcrowding and natural resource impacts in other parts of Pisgah, as well as on the iconic trails of Old Fort like Catawba Falls, Kitsuma Peak and Point Lookout, which are heavily used.
“We are also interested in increasing trail diversity so that different population groups feel more comfortable accessing those resources,” McDougald said, which includes adding trails to encourage more Black people to use, as well as creating shorter, easier loop trails for those new to hiking.
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The U.S. Forest Service began working with the G5 Trail Collective and local recreation groups in 2017 around volunteer trail maintenance around Old Fort, said Lisa Jennings, Recreation and Trails program manager for the Forest Service.
But the collaboration really came together when they began engaging with the West Marion and Old Fort Community Forums and People on the Move Old Fort, she said.
“With their voice at the table as a key partner we gained momentum and focused the project on community health and equity. That’s when we started using the phrase ‘trails for all’ and working towards true community-driven trails planning,” Jennings said.
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“Equitable trails means diversity is recognized in not only the diverse uses of our public lands, but also in the diversity of the communities we surround. Equitable trails means trails are designed with the input of all users and we are actively working to address inequalities in outdoor access.”
Funded with more than $140,000 in initial grants raised by community partners, the Forest Service is undertaking an analysis of the area to build more than 20 miles of new multiuse trails, with some being hike-only, some hike/bike, and some hike/bike/equestrian. Some will connect to the Fonta Flora State Trail, which will eventually link Asheville to Morganton.
“We are looking for feedback from the community to drive those uses and where they would be in the trail system,” Jennings said. “Let us know what types of trail experiences, uses, connections, and features you are excited about.”
Financial partners include People on the Move for Old Fort, Camp Grier, International Mountain Biking Association Trail Solutions, Kitsbow Cycling Apparel, McDowell County Tourism and Development Authority and Mill Creek Properties.
In December, after collecting feedback, the Forest Service will identify trail locations on the ground. In January they will formally present the proposed trail system plan to the public for comment.
"With this community-driven planning effort, we hope to build trails that will better connect our public lands to Old Fort, and better serve the needs of the growing use of outdoor spaces in WNC for all users," Jennings said.
Learn more
Following are ways to comment in the initial planning stage of the Old Fort Trails Project:
1. Join a live Zoom 5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 to hear the plan, chat with the U.S. Forest Service and partners and make comments.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84569584680?pwd=b25VUEVGdkRrdCtOVUZBNGtvbnk5Zz09, Meeting ID: 845 6958 4680, Passcode: 122547
2. Email comments to Jennings at lisa.n.jennings@usda.gov.
3. Download the concept map and submit comment through the G5 Trail Collective website at www.g5trailcollective.org/oldfort
4. Visit the Old Fort Ride House at 59 Commerce St., to view a large printed planning map and submit a comment in person and take home a printed copy.
Karen Chávez is an award-winning outdoors and environment reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and USA TODAY Network. She is the author of "Best Hikes with Dogs: North Carolina," and is a former National Park Service ranger.
Reach me: KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or on Twitter @KarenChavezACT
Read more outdoors news: www.citizentimes.com/outdoors