IN RECOGNITION OF
THE 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION TRUST FUND
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, on July 16, 1994, the North Carolina General Assembly established the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) to fund improvements in the state’s park system, to fund grants for local governments, and to increase the public’s access to state beaches and estuaries; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Authority, a nine-member appointed board, was created to allocate funds from PARTF to the Division of Parks and Recreation and to the grants program for local government; and
WHEREAS, parks and recreation opportunities bolster economic prosperity through increased property values, expansion of the local tax base, increased tourism, and the attraction and retention of businesses; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina’s parks, beaches, and natural recreation areas reflect the ecological beauty of our state and provide a place for children and adults to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund has funded the N.C. Division of Coastal Management’s Public Beach and Waterfront Access Program, which in turn has funded over $53.8 million in grants for nearly 500 public beach and waterfront access projects; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund has provided over $500 million to the North Carolina State Parks System for land acquisition, facility development, and maintenance; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund has granted over $262 million to 1,055 local projects across all 100 counties to help local governments reach their park and public access goals to improve the quality of life in their communities; and
WHEREAS, over its 30 years, PARTF’s partnership with local governments has produced other joint initiatives involving conservation lands, trails, and programs; and
WHEREAS, PARTF continues to receive broad support from North Carolina’s people and communities as well as bipartisan support for funding in the General Assembly;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim July 16, 2024, as a day “IN RECOGNITION OF THE 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION TRUST FUND” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
________________________________________
Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
