North Carolina is set to add a new state trail, the Charlotte region's first.
Gov. Josh Stein is considering legislation designating the 60-mile South Fork Passage State Trail. The General Assembly passed it almost unanimously last week and presented it to the governor Monday.
The planned trail follows the South Fork of the Catawba River, which helped power a textile boom in North Carolina's southern Piedmont. The river's banks are now home to 3,600 acres of protected land that lawmakers say is perfect for paddling, hiking and biking.
The Catawba Riverkeeper estimates 20% of North Carolina residents live within an hour's drive.
"Given the growth patterns of the Charlotte metro, it's really rare and unique that we've got such an incredible natural resource and natural amenity in such a rapidly developing area," said Ryan Carter, the nonprofit's policy director.
The route passes through Catawba, Lincoln and Gaston counties, ending at Lake Wylie on the state's southern border.
Wildlife inhabiting the Catawba include bald eagles, blue herons, monarch butterflies, beavers, bog turtles, Santee chubs and seagreen darters, as well as bigleaf magnolias and Schweinitz's sunflowers, according to the bill.
Catawba and Cherokee people lived along the water for centuries, the riverkeeper says, contributing to what the group describes as its "rich history."
"You've got American Revolutionary War battles. You've got Civil War engagements. You've got the history of the Piedmont industry, of textile mills, different industries... And then you see railroads, and then you go under the I-85 bridge, and you're right there in modern Piedmont, North Carolina," Carter said.
The bill was originally sponsored by three local senators: Brad Overcash, R-Gaston; Mark Hollo, R-Catawba; and W. Ted Alexander, R-Cleveland. It later ended up in House Bill 23, a collection of local provisions that passed the House and Senate with little opposition.
North Carolina's state trail network spans more than 3,900 miles, though not all are complete.
Most of the South Fork Passage Trail is yet to be built. Existing routes cross 15 miles on land and 10 miles by water, the bill says.
