 and the efforts of the area’s legislative delegation resulted in the establishment of 564-acre Lake James State Park. Located in the foothills, nearby mountain ranges offer scenic surroundings for lake recreation and camping. Lawmakers also approved the designation of Lumber River as a state park and state river in southeastern North Carolina.
In 1987, the Division put forth a strong effort to bring environmental education and interpretation to the lives of all of the state’s citizens, particularly school children. The larger department, which housed North Carolina state parks, further emphasized environmental education in August 1989 with the appointment of an environmental education team, which produced a set of recommendations, resulting in the creation of an Office of Environmental Education.
The need for stronger resource protection, along with a growing concern for visitor safety, led to the development of a formal law enforcement program for the state parks system for all rangers and superintendents. In July of 1988, the first group of rangers graduated from Basic Law Enforcement Training and were designated as special peace officers.
By the end of the decade, a changing, growing North Carolina was reflected in the park system. As the state continued to change, parks continued to be places for its citizens to refresh themselves through contact with nature.
Keep reading > Part 8: Financial Resources Committed to State Parks, 1990-1999
Beanblossom, Robert. ed. 2011. Histories of southeastern state park systems. Association of Southeastern State Park Directors.
NC Division of Parks and Recreation, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. http://www.ncparks.gov/
NC Division of Parks and Recreation. "Annual Report of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation." NC Digital Collections: http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p249901coll22/id/172123
1 January 2011 | Eakes, Alan; Ledford, Lewis; Reuter, Don