Former Governor Hunt on the value of Parks

I just happened to catch this segment Wilderness Next Door, an episode of the excellent UNCTV series Exploring North Carolina.  This was episode 607 described as follows:

"State and national parks are important to North Carolina and the quality of life we enjoy. Many of us, however, do not have easy access to large parks and wild places.

As this state grows, and more people live in an urban environment, it is critical that greenways and parks are set aside. Such public lands in and near our towns and cities are not only important for recreation and environmental education, but equally important for the economic vitality.

Join us as we explore North Carolina’s urban parks and greenways—"wilderness next door.""

In the episode, former Governor Jim Hunt speaks about the value of Parks in troubled economic times.  Luckily someone captured this key segment on YouTube:




When is the best time to acquire parkland?  Hunt: "Well tough economic times are the very times when economically we ought to seize the moment.  Seize the moment for our environmental future yes, but for our economic future. . . for our jobs. . . " Watch the embedded video for the rest of his statement.

As an aside, Gregory Poole Jr. was featured in the program as a prominent advocate for parks in general and the Raleigh Central Park proposal in particular.  Mr. Poole has roots in Pittsboro; in fact his great uncle, a superintendent at Chatham Mills, donated the land for the W.P.A. built Pittsboro Community House.  I'm proud of Pittsboro's long heritage of valuing parks and recreation.

Comments

Popular Posts