The Friends of Mount Jefferson State Natural Area were cautiously jubilant last week upon hearing Gov. Bev Perdue’s proposed budget. It calls not for a permanent closing of Mount Jefferson and another state park, but for a closing of two days per week on average, which would mean the park could be open all week during the warm months and close more often in the cold months.

This proposal still has to make it past the House and Senate, so the Friends are not giving up the fight.

“We are all thankful to the governor and all who had a part in persuading the Governor to keep Mt. Jefferson open in her budget proposal to the legislature,” said Jay Wild, president of the Friends of Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. “The park will probably be closed two days per week on average with the NC Division of Parks and Recreation given management discretion for how to work that out. The budget proposal also included a 10 percent cut from the operating budget for the NC Parks and Recreation Division. This budget proposal is still only a proposal until it has made it through the NC House and Senate where it will eventually be resubmitted back to the Governor for signing into law. Until that time anything can happen in the legislature to modify that budget. Please continue to let your legislators know how important keeping Mt. Jefferson is to our area and to the entire state.”

“We have several more months to go before we can celebrate Mt. Jefferson remaining open,” Wild said. “We will do that on Mt. Jefferson when the bill has been signed into law!”

The Friends will meet Monday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Highlands Community Church on Ray Taylor Road in West Jefferson (across from Ashe Services for Aging) to continue their plans to save the park. And a public forum is still planned on Saturday, March 26 at the Ashe Civic Center.

Read more in Tuesday’s edition of the Jefferson Post.