NC Commerce Rural Planning Program

09/03/2026

Our approach to Rural Community Economy Building brings together three interconnected areas of focus: Capacity Building, Economic Advancement, and Placemaking.

Capacity Building strengthens local leadership, partnerships, planning, engagement, and the tools communities need to turn ideas into action. Economic Advancement focuses on understanding the local economy, supporting businesses and entrepreneurs, strengthening infrastructure, and creating opportunities for investment and growth. Placemaking builds on a community’s unique assets and character to strengthen public spaces, quality of life, civic pride, and community connections.

Together, these areas help communities move from a shared vision and market understanding to locally driven strategies, projects, and measurable economic results.

09/02/2026

🎉 Celebrating New Access to the Lumber River!

Rural Planning staff recently attended the Lumber River State Park ribbon-cutting ceremony for the brand-new Wire Pasture Access Point. With a new visitors center and another easy entryway to the Lumber River, the Robeson County community, North Carolina State Parks and Recreation, NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, The Museum of the Southeast American Indian, and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina came together to celebrate these exciting additions.

As Robeson County Administration/Government County Manager Kellie Blue shared during the event, the new access point and visitors center will provide lasting benefits for both Robeson County residents and visitors enjoying the natural beauty of the Lumber River.

A great day for outdoor recreation, community partnership, and rural development in North Carolina! 🌿🚣‍♀️

09/01/2026

Interested in leveraging your community's outdoor assets for economic growth? 🛶

Trust for Public Land is offering a free, 3-month virtual learning series designed to support communities in advancing local outdoor recreation goals. This opportunity is available to communities located in any of North Carolina's 31 Appalachian counties. Register at the link below (deadline: September 8) to secure your spot.

Appalachia United Outdoors is funded, in part, by the Appalachian Regional Commission's ARISE Program.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9x1lwrv2vUeHLSNtw8bZ4A52YhRhbBZPsAj3wMFBuxhUQzE4TDdQSFlNS1NUUExLWjE2REdaMUJDVy4u

08/31/2026

How does a local government fund a $10M community center if it only has $1.5M available? They STACK CAPITAL! Capital stacking in local government funding refers to combining multiple funding streams—such as public grants, municipal bonds, private equity, tax credits, and philanthropic dollars—to finance community projects that a single funding source could not cover alone. Want to discuss potential funding sources for projects? Prosperity Zone planners are here to help: https://www.commerce.nc.gov/about-us/divisions-programs/rural-economic-development-division/nc-main-street-rural-planning-center/nc-rural-planning-program attached image is AI generated

08/28/2026

Members of the NC Commerce Rural Economic Development Division were excited to attend this week's Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit, hosted by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

Blue Ridge Rising is a multi-state initiative to foster economic development along the 29 counties that touch the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway. United by the consensus-driven Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan, the program implements activities around six themes: marketing, visitor experience, unified regional voice, resource protection, workforce education, and capacity building. The Summit brought parters together who implement this important work in communities along the parkway corridor.

Bridgett Massengill, President & CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership, left attendees with a big question: "What kind of growth is worthy of the place we're trying to protect?"

Blue Ridge Rising is supported in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission's ARISE Program.

Follow this link to learn more about Blue Ridge Rising: https://brpfoundation.org/programs/blue-ridge-rising/

08/25/2026

Main Street and Rural Planning staff recently conducted an Economic Positioning Workshop in the Village of Marvin. Marvin elected officials, staff, and community members were in attendance. Highlights of the evening included identifying Marvin’s assets and economic drivers, as well as completing a Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. The remainder of the evening focused on crafting an Economic Positioning Statement that will lay the groundwork for the development of a 5-Year Strategic Economic Development Plan.

Does your community need a consensus-built vision for the future? Learn more here: https://www.commerce.nc.gov/.../nc-rural-planning-program

08/20/2026

Huge congratulations to Washington County, NC on the completion of the new elevator at the historic Washington County Courthouse!

Historic preservation and modern accessibility can—and should—go hand in hand. Local courthouses serve as the heartbeat of civic life and local government across North Carolina. Ensuring these cherished landmarks are ADA compliant means that every citizen, regardless of mobility, can fully participate in county operations, civic events, and public business.

Rural Planning staff is proud to have helped Washington County implement North Carolina Department of Commerce RDED grant funding to bring this vital project to life. Thank you to the leaders and staff in Washington County for your dedication to making public spaces welcoming and accessible for all! 👏

08/17/2026

Rural Planning Program staff members and Creating Outdoor Recreation Economies (CORE) local stakeholders from Halifax County, Martin County, Montgomery County, Rockingham County, the Town of Nashville and more attended the 2026 Great Trails State Conference.

The Great Trails State Conference brings together trail planners, designers and builders, recreational professionals, elected leaders, tourism partners, economic development professionals and more to learn and share best practices to advance trail and greenway development and promotion throughout North Carolina.

The CORE program has provided strategic planning and technical assistance to 27 rural North Carolina communities to help leverage the state’s abundant outdoor recreation assets to support local economic growth.

Photo Credit: Anna Wheeler/Dan River Basin Association

Great Trails NC

08/14/2026

Visit North Carolina recently released “The Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties.”

“From the mountains to the coast, the findings underscore North Carolina’s enduring appeal to travelers,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “They also speak to the resilience that has fueled the mountain recovery, and we can celebrate the strength of our tourism industry, which generated $37.2 billion in visitor spending last year.”

https://www.commerce.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2026/08/13/amid-hurricane-helene-recovery-nc-tourism-spending-charts-variable-growth

This study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics. Access the Economic Impact Study here: https://www.visitnc.com/industry/research/economic-impact-studies

Visitor spending increased for 59 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in 2025, according to data released Wednesday by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The…