Our Goals
Supporting Recreation – Maintenance and Construction
A primary goal of TPC will be to enhance the recreational experience of visitors to Pisgah while protecting the rich natural resources that attract them in the first place. Construction and maintenance of infrastructure on the District, including trails, trailheads, buildings, monuments, parking lots, and other facilities will play a central role in accomplishing that goal. At the time of the founding of TPC, a substantial majority of the trails on Pisgah do not satisfy the National Quality Standards for Trails. For as long as TPC exists, our goal will be that 100% of the trails are upgraded to meet those standards. We may move toward that goal in slow increments. No doubt it will take years to accomplish. But our goal will remain the same – 100% of the trails meeting those quality standards.
TPC will support the environmental, social, and financial sustainability of Pisgah’s trails for a variety of recreational uses. This means, among other things, working with federal, state, and local agencies and other interested parties to maintain trail stability, reduce erosion and flow of sediments to waterways, prevent unacceptable trail impacts on wildlife and cultural resources, ensure that trails and trail shelters are not in disrepair and are supported by user groups and volunteers, make sure that they serve a meaningful purpose within a trail complex (or, if not, support their decommissioning), promote user safety (including through improved signage), help open and maintain approved scenic vistas, and contribute sustainable funding for the trails. Where appropriate, we will support improvements to and maintenance of trailhead complexes and Forest Service roads to help improve parking, sanitation, and access to trails.
We will support planning activities and help secure regulatory approvals (e.g., archeological and botanical approvals) for improvements – where clearly necessary to move specific projects forward. Our bias, however, will always be to use our resources to produce tangible results in the field.
We also seek to make improvements to trails and trailheads that are aesthetically pleasing. To the extent reasonably possible they should blend with the landscape and augment the natural beauty of Pisgah.