Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail

Since its designation as a state trail in 2015, the popularity of the Fonta Flora State Trail has grown rapidly within the region, and is now attracting visitors from all over. When completed, the trail will connect Burke, McDowell, and Buncombe counties with 100 miles of scenic hiking, biking and greenway trail from Morganton to Asheville. It will weave together the quaint communities of Black Mountain, Old Fort, Marion and Glen Alpine with parks, greenspaces and other attractions in the area, such as Lake James State Park and the Mountains to Sea Trail. These communities are investing heavily in the Fonta Flora State Trail as a way to preserve their natural resources for the enjoyment of everyone and to harness the economic power of the booming outdoor recreation economy we have seen in Western North Carolina in recent years.

With this steady growth in popularity of the trail, it became evident at the end of 2019 that a more coordinated effort between the 9 jurisdictions was needed to manage all the moving parts involved with completing a trail project of this scale. As a major advocate for the trail, the Friends of Lake James State Park (FLJSP) stepped up to the plate by initiating the formation of a Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail 501(3)(c). With his prolific work in the NC Legislature on State Parks and State Trails, it was a natural fit to ask FLJSP Vice President and Emeritus Member Judge Robert C. Hunter to take a leadership role in the new organization – to which he graciously agreed to spearhead this important undertaking..

On December 18, 2019, directly following the new Lake James Visitor Center groundbreaking ceremony, the FLJSP hosted a reception at Fonta Flora Brewery at Whippoorwill Farm to celebrate and to announce the official formation of the Friends of the Fonta Flora State Trail, Inc. (F3ST). The event was a great success with close to 100 people in attendance, including state and local officials, businesses, conservation groups and enthusiastic public supporters of the trail.

Since that event, F3ST hit the ground running. McDowell County generously “loaned” staff member Blair Melton to help get the new organization off the ground. With the help of Shane Prisby from Burke County, Heather Cotton with the City of Marion, McDowell County Economic Development Director Charles Abernathy and Josh Harrold, Town Manager for the town of Black Mountain, the team developed bylaws and put together the foundational strategy for an effective 501(3)(c) organization. In the spring of this year, the world was unfortunately turned on its head due\ to COVID-19, but the team was able adjust and move forward.

F3ST now has its 501(3)(c) status and a fully formed Board of Directors with equal representation of the 9 jurisdictions. The Board of Directors is composed of five representatives from each of the three counties (3 local government representative, a trails representative, and an economic development representative) plus designated seats for the Friends\ of Lake James State Park, Inc. the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Inc. the YMCA of Western North Carolina, NC State Parks and a member from the WNC Bridge Foundation. This board is supported by an Advisory Council of 20 members made up of employees and volunteers from the various stakeholder groups and local governments working to get the trail on the ground.