Recommendations from NCOREC for Helene Recovery in North Carolina

This is the recommendation by the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NCOREC) for significant legislative and agency support to revive Western North Carolina’s outdoor recreation industry. To be clear, we strongly recommend all of these initiatives and funding requests be coordinated in collaboration with our non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, the various state agencies, and the local government jurisdictions.

In several of the recommendations below, we are endorsing programs proposed by such partners. We are not seeking any standalone funding for NCOREC itself.

#1 Business Grants and/or Forgiveable Loans

Preamble: Many outdoor recreation businesses in WNC are based in rural communities and are often the central draw to bring visitors, which then support other businesses in that location (e.g. restaurants, lodging, general stores, etc.). These businesses in turn have a symbiotic relationship with the outdoor businesses; visitors are more likely to choose the outdoor business as a destination when there are other facilities nearby. Many of these businesses are still servicing debt incurred during the COVID era. 

Data from similar disasters of the scale of Helene (100+ fatalities; 100,000+ structures lost/damaged) indicates about 40% of businesses will not re-open; 20% more will fail within a year – leaving only 40% of the pre-Helene businesses intact in 2025. Our objective is to staunch this loss, so preserve economic development in rural communities with outdoor recreation visitors in 2025.

One example: a general store in Chimney Rock, NC. Link to article.

To put the need in context: for a cash grant program recently announced, approximately 100 businesses submitted applications in the first 24 hours, employing in aggregate 1,000+ full time employees, and recording economic injury of $20M in aggregate.

Small businesses in WNC generally lost all incoming cashflow in October, and likely will lose most of November. These months usually earn more revenue than an average month.

  • An existing grant program led by Appalachian Community Capital (ACC) offers grants up to $25k to businesses with less than $1m in annual sales.This excludes many outdoor businesses, which operate at high volumes with low margins and need to make more than $1m in annual revenue to cover their costs and pay competitive wages. 2,000 applications were received in the first two weeks, with at least 880 of those applicants having over $25K in economic damage, and 800 having more than $25K in physical damage

  • We recommend a program that is limited to businesses with less than 100 employees, more than 2 full-time employees, and based in WNC and a target funding amount of 20% of annual revenue of the prior year, constrained by a maximum cap of $400K per business, with no duplication of benefits allowed from insurance or other publicly-funded grants programs. For instance, a river rafting company with $2m in 2023 revenue would qualify for a forgivable loan of $400k.  

  • We estimate approximately 400 companies would qualify, with an average of $1.1m in annual revenue each, for a total program funding of $88M.

#2 Funding for Visitor Promotion

Preamble: In the initial week of rescue, and following weeks of recovery, the lack of facilities, water, electricity, and extreme demand for lodging for both displaced citizens and visiting recovery workers necessarily required state and local governments to discourage travel to and within WNC. Now that some restaurants, some lodging, and some outdoor activities are open to use – we need visitors. Yet visitors are hesitant to come to WNC, given that it is not clear what businesses and facilities are open. This will be a persistent problem throughout 2025-2026 given that some roads and facilities will take more than a year to rebuild.

  • We acknowledge the previously funded $5M, yet there remains a specific challenge to communicate nationally and globally the status of outdoor recreation resources.

  • We recommend an allocation of $25M beyond the initial $5M for a total of $30M. We know that marketing programs are more effective when designed for a multi-year run.

  • Of the additional $25M total, allocate $7M to the Office of Outdoor Economy in the Department of Commerce Rural Economic Development Division to create a multi-year marketing campaign which will promote the outdoor recreation-based businesses, events and resources which draw tourists to Western NC.

#3 Stream Debris Removal and Stabilization

Preamble: The rivers within the affected Helene damaged area are key to the economic viability of the region; indeed, one of the reasons that people move to the area and a source of revenue for visitors. Massive damage needs immediate attention, and also represents an opportunity to employ the suddenly unemployed. 

Utilizing labor that already lives in the area for this cleanup has multiple benefits: many already have experience on these specific rivers (as guides), minimizes impact on housing requirements, keeps cleanup dollars local, and inspires or reinforces stewardship of the rivers in the long-term by current residents.

  • Allocate $8M of specific funding for MountainTrue debris removal project to include French Broad, North and South Toe, Nolichucky, Cane, Broad, Green, Catawba and Watagua Riversheds.

  • 6-month project to provide employment, primarily for out-of-work river and fishing guides, with contracts for firms with heavy equipment when needed.

  • Expand this category to be Debris Removal and Resource Stabilization so that funding can go beyond stream bed and include trails and access points.

  • Remove this specific request from the Agriculture category and include it in the Utilities and Natural Resources category.

#4 Trail Debris Removal and Routing

Preamble: The trails within the affected Helene damaged area are key to the economic viability of the region; again, one of the reasons that people move to the area and a source of revenue for visitors. Massive damage needs immediate attention, and also represents an opportunity for both trail maintenance volunteers as well as employing the suddenly unemployed. 

Many existing trail maintenance grants prohibit the use of non-profit organizations such as Pisgah SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) as vendors; there is a need for funding that will train and equip volunteers (there are already hundreds) and recognize non-profits as qualified vendors.

Utilizing labor that already lives in the area for this cleanup has multiple benefits: many already have experience on these specific trails (as guides and volunteers), minimizes impact on housing requirements, keeps cleanup dollars local, and inspires or reinforces stewardship of the trails in the long-term by current residents.

  • A total of $25M in funding to the Department of Natural Resources, to be managed in consultation with the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the Department of Commerce for rapid deployment on both State and Non-State-Owned lands.

  • The choice of specific projects approved for this funding would be ratified by the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the Department of Commerce. Project to include both contracted projects for debris removal, restoration, and new trails, and also make grants available to non-profit organizations already maintaining trails such as the Great Trails State Program, Legacy Trails Program, Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, Pisgah SORBA, and the land conservancies with experience building and maintaining trails so that they can utilize their volunteer and paid workforces. 

  • Allocate an additional $2M for training and certification (of both volunteers and employees) in trail maintenance and construction, including a program to train/certify additional instructors to expand the total number of trained workers. Program to be administrated via the Community Colleges in the Helene affected area.

#5 Restoring Local Parks & Greenways

Preamble: The smaller municipalities and unincorporated communities within the affected Helene damaged area have local parks, playgrounds, greenways, and other outdoor recreation facilities that are unlikely to be covered by insurance or FEMA funding, beyond initial cleanup. We need to ensure that non-profit organizations that already oversee and support public spaces are included. 

Prior experience with the economic development triggered by investments in such local parks under the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) is clear and has broad legislative support. The PARTF program is well-established (30 years), staffed, and equipped to evaluate proposals for recovery and rebuilding much-loved facilities.

Even with additional funding for PARTF targeted for recovery from Helene and other previous storms, there remains the barrier of the local match requirement (50%). Municipalities and counties impacted by Helene will not have budgeted for such a match, and will have other substantial storm-related costs.

  • Initial recommendation was $50M, not included in the most recent package approved by the legislature.

  • We recommend a one-time allocation of this funding, to be administered by PARTF for storm-related applications, from any NC jurisdiction with the mandate that at least 50% of the applications approved must be for the Helene affected area. Non-profits would be explicitly included as eligible for this funding.

  • Opportunity is there to improve many resources that were previously in need of maintenance and now must be replaced.

  • Opportunity to build back better, i.e. increased mobility and accessibility would be encouraged in renovation designs.

  • Reduction of the local match requirement to 5% for this program only.

  • A reduction of local match requirement to 5% for NCDOT projects that rebuild as well as for new construction of multi-use trails and paths, as well as other outdoor facilities, in the Helene-affected area.

Partners and Input

We want to thank and recognize the numerous members and partners that contributed their knowledge and insight to this Agenda:

  • Asheville on Bikes

  • Bubba O’Reilly’s General Store and Outfitter

  • Catawba Riverkeeper

  • Darby Communications

  • Flashing Red Light

  • Foothills Conservancy

  • Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

  • Great Outdoor Provision Company

  • Great State Trails Coalition

  • Green River Adventures

  • Land of Sky Regional Council

  • Mountain BizWorks

  • MountainTrue

  • Nantahala Outdoor Center

  • NC Adaptive Sports

  • NC Sustainable Business Council

  • Outdoor Business Alliance

  • Pisgah SORBA

  • Rebuild Black Mountain

  • REI Coop

  • Sandy Pressley

  • Second Gear

  • Sylvan Sport

  • The Conservation Fund

  • Triangle Land Conservancy

  • TS Designs