News Release

UNC and cyclists reach agreement on recreation trails on Carolina North property

CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Triangle Off Road Cyclists chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association have signed a memorandum of understanding that will ensure cooperation on the design, construction and maintenance of recreational trails at Carolina North.

“We are very pleased to have completed this agreement,” said Carolyn Elfland, UNC associate vice chancellor for campus services. “The Triangle Off Road Cyclists’ knowledge and experience in construction, maintenance, and operation of trail systems will enhance the outdoor experience at Carolina North. We feel TORC’s involvement will be quite beneficial in assisting us in honoring our commitment to the community to make the undeveloped acreage available for recreation.”

Under the agreement, the cyclists’ group will be permitted to design, construct and improve trails on the UNC property and to provide volunteers to maintain new and existing trails. UNC has agreed to make the trails accessible to the public, to publicize development of the trails and to provide signs and information kiosks about the trails. The agreement also authorizes a mountain bike patrol program on the property to assist and educate trail users.

 “TORC is excited to enter into this long-term agreement with UNC to preserve the recreational trail opportunities in the Carolina North Forest. This green space and trails have long been an important asset to the community and, since UNC has recognized that value, we will be able to enjoy them in the future,” said Stewart Bryan, president of Triangle Off Road Cyclists. “We also hope to improve appreciation of the forest and the trails through outreach and education, with the end result being more personal responsibility across the user groups.”

The agreement is part of the university’s commitment, announced in 2006, to encourage use of the land by hikers, bikers and others in a way that will not harm the property or environment. Carolina recently hired a forest management team for Carolina North to identify and post property lines, map hiking and biking trails, and install signs for trails, maps and information about how the public can use the property.  Earlier this month, UNC Chancellor James Moeser also sent a letter to several local residents asking them to serve on the Carolina North Trails and Forest Advisory Committee that will help the university be a good steward for that land.

Carolina North is envisioned as a vibrant, compact, mixed-use academic campus on the university’s 900-plus-acre tract 2 miles north of the main campus. The UNC Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan for the campus at its Sept. 26 meeting, and the university will submit a Carolina North plan to the Town of Chapel Hill in the near future. The plan is friendly to the environment, leaving approximately 750 acres of forest and wetlands of the tract almost entirely undisturbed while concentrating development on land that has previously been used or developed.

Triangle Off Road Cyclists was formed more than two years ago when several area clubs decided to merge to consolidate the business side of running a club and to enhance their advocacy efforts. It is an affiliate of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, with many volunteers who have attended trail schools to be trained in building low-impact sustainable trails using international guidelines.

TORC Web site: www.torc-nc.org
Related Web link: www.unc.edu/news/archives/dec06/cnorthpropmgmt121406.htm

News Services contact: Susan Houston, (919) 962-8415 or susan_houston@unc.edu