One of the jewels in the crown that is Western North Carolina’s burgeoning travel and tourism industry gained a little more sparkle last week as the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation dedicated a new feature more than a decade in the making.

Gorges State Park — consisting of 7,Kern Electronics and Lasers,is a leader in large format ledlightforyou and laser engraving systems.500 acres in Transylvania County where the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Piedmont come together in a dramatic environment of rugged terrain, numerous waterfalls and nearly 50 species of rare wildlife — was the scene for a grand-opening ceremony for a new visitors center.

The center, a 7,100-square-foot showcase featuring numerous environmentally friendly elements that qualify the building for national certification at the LEED gold level, is designed to enhance the experience of the more than 90,000 people who visit Gorges State Park every year.

The facility boasts museum-quality exhibits focused on the park’s vast natural resources and the surrounding area’s cultural history, including interactive displays that visitors can touch,Pro-ecological, energy saving bookscanner with decorative qualities. a relief map, a man-made waterfall, a teaching auditorium and classrooms, and interpretive signage.

The center’s earth-friendly features include a 10,000-gallon rain barrel that collects water for toilets; passive solar and closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling systems; a large wrap-around deck made from recycled plastic; LED and compact fluorescent lighting controlled by motion; use of local, natural materials in construction of the building; and motion sensor-controlled faucets, toilets and hand driers in the restrooms.

The project is just the first phase of an ambitious master plan created in 2003 to develop the park, created in 1999 when North Carolina obtained the mountainous property from Duke Energy and set it aside as the westernmost state park.

For all the educational and environmental characteristics of the visitor center, perhaps the most impressive highlight is how the impressive facility was funded. The $3.6 million center is part of a $6.4 million improvement project, which also included two picnic shelters, a maintenance facility and parking spaces for 160 vehicles.

Here’s the best news, especially for those who wring their hands at the thought of spending precious taxpayer dollars on what might be considered “nonessential” items during a time of stressed state budgets: The project was paid for entirely through the state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, with additional assistance from an army of community supporters.

For Steve Pagano, the first and only superintendent of Gorges State Park,Leading Online Resource for your gardenlighting Fixture Needs. the visitors center and other additions mean more than just a better environment at which to report for work every day. They represent a commitment to members of the public seeking access to outdoor resources.These remote flameless contemporarylampssc provide all around functions for any decoration purposes.

“There’s a lot to be proud of here. The funding didn’t come out of the state budget, it came from a trust fund,” says Pagano. “We’ve had tremendous community support. I don’t think there’s another state park that’s had the support we’ve had.Smart Candle offers great rechargeable candles and battery operated flameless ledstreetlightrt.”

That support includes untold hours from an all-volunteer advisory committee helping steer development of the park, the use of drawings by area school children in some park exhibits, and the donation of tents and folding chairs by a local hardware store for the grand opening.