Mayo River State Park
~ 1,797 acres, Rockingham County
Compass Avalon, LLC, Avalon Development Corporation, Ferguson Lumber, Inc.,
Doreen & James Hodge and Robert Brady, Janet and Charles Roberts, Ronda Walker,
Lincoln Grogan, Sherry Thompson, John Skaggs, Red Leaf, LLC, Mike & Linda
Arlidge and Ronald & Teresa Tindall, Jr. Family, Anne Smith & Robert Gorrell,
Betty Robertson, Piedmont Stone and Estate of Mary Hawks. Sale of Lands.
New Market Madison, LLC. Donation of Land.
The Mayo
River, a significant tributary of the Dan River, is a regional treasure with
cliffs, waterfalls, sandy beaches, Native American fish weirs or traps, unique
plants and animals, and a class III rapid. Thanks in large part to the
leadership of the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), the North Carolina General
Assembly authorized the creation of the Mayo River State Park in 2003. With a
similar conceptual design as the Eno River State Park, this state park will
consist of “pods” of protected land connected by the Mayo River and will provide
canoeing, camping, and hiking opportunities.
Early in 2004, PLC, DRBA and NC Division of Parks and Recreation entered into a partnership to identify willing landowners and create the park. Within this partnership, DRBA works to identify landowners willing to sell their lands to be included in the Mayo River State Park. Once willing landowners have been identified, the State asks PLC to acquire the necessary real estate appraisals to ensure that the landowners are receiving a fair market value for their property. Once the appraisals are completed, the State reviews and authorizes an offer which PLC then provides to the landowner. If the landowner agrees, PLC secures an option agreement for the State to purchase the property in a specified time period at the agreed upon price.
Once the
option agreement is secured, the State carries out the necessary transactional
steps including title work, surveys, and governmental approvals. In some cases,
PLC acquires property on an interim basis due to delays within the government’s
approval process. Working together, DRBA, the State and PLC have acquired
sixteen properties for the Mayo River State Park. For additional information
regarding the Mayo River State Park visit NC Division of Parks and Recreation’s
website at
http://www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/explore/mari/new_home.html.
Project funding provided by NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program, NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, PLC and NC Division of Parks and Recreation.