By Gina Malone
For nature lovers, a dream of more than a decade is closer to becoming reality. In a proposed rail-to-trail project, Conserving Carolina is under contract to purchase the TR Line corridor from Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, LLC, a division of WATCO Companies. With additional work and fundraising, this 19 miles of rail bed between Henderson and Transylvania counties will become the Ecusta Trail, a destination for hikers, bikers and commuters. “We anticipate that the trail will become a major contributor to economic development for our region, much as the Swamp Rabbit Trail has for Travelers Rest and Greenville in SC and the Virginia Creeper Trail has for Abingdon and Damascus in VA,” says Rebekah Robinson, assistant director for programs at Conserving Carolina.
Volunteers have lined up behind the project since 2008 when the property on which the Ecusta paper mill in Brevard once stood was sold. Friends of Ecusta Trail (FOET) was formed soon after, incorporating as a nonprofit in 2009. “A handful of us realized that, with the sale of that industrial property for residential and commercial use, the likelihood of rail use for that line would be nonexistent for the foreseeable future,” says Chris Burns, marketing and communications chair for FOET, which has acted as an information gathering and advocacy organization over the last 12 years.
Burns’ interest in the project was sparked when he took his son’s Cub Scout group to the Virginia Creeper Trail in 2007. “I have always been involved in economic development and the business community,” Burns says, “and I thought that a similar trail on the unused line could be of tremendous benefit to our region.” At that time, the TR Line had been dormant for five years.
Conserving Carolina was awarded a $6.4 million grant from the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) last year toward purchase of the land. On November 18, the Henderson County Board of Commissioners approved a short-term bridge loan to Conserving Carolina for the purchase of the land corridor, to be repaid by the NCDOT grant.
Henderson County has been awarded a transportation grant through the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to begin the design and construction process for the first three phases of the trail—from Hendersonville west to the French Broad River in Horse Shoe. The grant will cover 80 percent of the cost, with approximately $1.2 million needed to cover the remainder. “Conserving Carolina and FOET are partnering to raise the needed funds from private sources, including individuals and local businesses,” says Robinson. “We also hope that our local tourism development authorities will continue to support the project.”
The Henderson County Tourism Development Authority (HCTDA) demonstrated its support for the trail through a grant of almost $500,000 toward initial steps to rail acquisition. “The HCTDA has been a strong advocate of the Ecusta Trail from its inception because we see the economic impact to this region through tourism,” says Beth Carden, executive director of HCTDA.
Conservative estimates place the trail’s impact on tourism for the region at $12 million annually. “Our board is committed to being part of the long-term success of tourism in Transylvania County and sees the importance and opportunity of the Ecusta Trail,” says Layton Parker, board chair of Transylvania County Tourism. “It will become an integral element for the health of our community, outdoor recreation and sustainability of tourism that sets the two counties it connects apart as destinations for both residents and visitors to enjoy.”
Burns believes that the trail will benefit the region in a number of ways, including providing a means of commuting between residential areas and the downtowns, acting as a catalyst for small business development and building a sense of community. “Landowners on these trails always comment about how it becomes an extension of their backyards and how they use it to visit with neighbors as well as for exercise,” Burns says. “It is such a quality of life enhancer that there is no doubt it will be an arrow in the quiver of the economic development folks in both counties as they try to attract new industry.”
Details are still being worked out as to the surface of the trail. Plans are to tie it, eventually, into existing systems, including the Brevard Bike Path and the Estatoe Greenway. “Both Brevard and Henderson County have greenway master plans that show additional proposed greenway connectivity,” Robinson says. “The Ecusta Trail will also be a major step forward for the Hellbender Regional Trail System, linking greenways and trails in Henderson, Transylvania, Buncombe and Madison counties as proposed by the French Broad River MPO.” She anticipates that construction will begin in late 2021 on the first phase of the project from Hendersonville to Horse Shoe, but a timeline for completion has not yet been developed.
The purchase will adhere to terms of the federal railbanking process, which allows unused rail corridors to be converted to rail trails until such time as the corridor is needed again for rail transportation. Existing bridges and trestles will be evaluated for safety and suitability for the trail and, says Robinson, will be a “major factor in whether actual costs are at the lower or higher end” of the estimated $18–$25 million cost for the project.
“The sights along the trail run the gamut from the heart of downtown Hendersonville to suburban residential areas to rural farms and forests in Henderson and Transylvania counties,” Robinson says. “There are restaurants, coffee shops and breweries at each endpoint and at several points along the route such as in Laurel Park, Horse Shoe and Etowah.” The trail will cross many waterways, she adds, including the French Broad River in Horse Shoe.
To contribute to the project or to volunteer, visit ConservingCarolina.org or EcustaTrail.org.