Madison and Avery counties are among six counties that are part of MADE X MTNS (Made By Mountains) Partnership’s second round of grant recipients in its Building Outdoor Communities Program. The six grantees awarded in round two of funding include projects that demonstrate their high impact, connectivity, regional potential, and sustainability benefit to enhance outdoor community and economic development. Participation in outdoor recreation has consistently demonstrated positive effects on job creation and business growth, contributing to the economic vitality of Western North Carolina communities.
The second round of grantees and projects include: ● Watauga County: Arts in the Outdoors Strategic Master Plan ● Madison County: Bailey Mountain Preserve – Otis Duck Greenway Connector Feasibility Study ● Cherokee County: Valley River Heritage Trail Greenway/Blueway Master Plan ● Clay County: Hiwassee River Greenway Project Scoping and Feasibility Study ● Avery County: Banner Elk Greenway Master Plan ● Caldwell County: Trail Feasibility Study.
“These projects have been carefully selected for their capacity to contribute significantly to the well-being of our communities and natural spaces, while bolstering our regions outdoor recreation economy,” says MADE X MTNS Partnership Director, Amy Allison.
The goal of the Building Outdoor Communities Program is to support Western North Carolina’s community leaders to better leverage their natural assets and collaborate to advance their outdoor community and economic development goals, centered around healthy people and places.
Two rounds of planning and capacity building grants have been made possible through $250,000 in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Dogwood Health Trust. This funding is part of the three-year “Accelerating Outdoors Grant” awarded to the MADE X MTNS Partnership.
