Peachtree – A stumbling block over a 1.5-acre N.C. Forest Service facility beside Tri-County Community College has led the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners to withhold an $89,000 payment to the state that could jeopardize future fire protection services from the state.
The parcel includes a small office building and shed and is used for forest protection, wildfire control, reforestation and forest management services in Cherokee County.
Tri-County Community College had wanted to acquire the property for a project it had in mind – “The Cultural Arts and Workforce Center will be a tremendous asset to our community, offering a dedicated space for graduations, recitals, conferences, and essential workforce training programs,” said Paul Worley, vice president of economic and workforce development at the college.
“While we had hoped to collaborate with the N.C. Forest Service to identify a solution that met the needs of all parties – the Forest Service, the college and the community – we were ultimately unable to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Nevertheless, we are excited to move forward with the development of this important facility at an alternative location on campus.”
Details about the center are still being worked out, including cost and location if it is not the Forest Service parcel.
On April 11, N.C. Forest Service District Forester Ruthie Edwards wrote a letter to Cherokee County Manager Randy Wiggins seeking $89,163 from the county to pay for operations at the forest service facility beside Tri-County Community College. The state would chip in $133,746 as its share.
Commission Chair Dan Eichenbaum said the county has been trying to reach an agreement with the state about moving the Forest Service facility and provided numerous options, all refused.
Commissioner Cal Stiles said, “We can’t make them happy,” adding that the delay has held up construction as building prices continue to rise. “We can use the $89,000 for something else.”
The board of commissioners rejected the funding request unanimously during its April 21 meeting. Forest Service officials described the commissioners’ decision as dangerous.
“We are disappointed with the county commissioners’ decision to suspend funding for the N.C. Forest Service in response and believe that decision is dangerous and short-sighted and puts residents of Cherokee County in danger, especially as we are already dealing with a very active wildfire season,” said Andrea Ashby, public affairs director of the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
“Under state law, if a county does not participate in the cooperative firefighting agreement with the Forest Service, the agency cannot expend funds in that county to fight fires. To depend on volunteer fire departments that are often not equipped with heavy equipment and aerial assets to fight wildfires and the U.S. Forest Service, which does not have jurisdiction on private property, is very dangerous.”
Commissioner Ben Adams said the county was subsidizing the Forest Service to fight fires on state-owned land. Ashby said the Forest Service “fights wildfires wherever they are – state, federal or private lands.”
“To label the N.C. Forest Service as being difficult to negotiate with is just not accurate,” she said. “For the past 18 months, our Property & Construction Division, which handles matters involving state-owned property, has had ongoing and in-person discussions with the community college about the N.C. Forest Service property that the community college wishes to obtain. We have been willing to consider a move, provided the solution accommodates the long-term needs of the N.C. Forest Service.
“To that end, we have even taken steps through the annual budget process to secure legislative funding in the 2024 short-session budget to try to accommodate the community college. In correspondence with the school, we have asked for its support in lobbying the Legislature for funding with the hope that funding could be secured.
“Our No. 1 capital budget priority in 2024 was $1.25 million to build a new building for the Forest Service at another site, provided a suitable site could be provided by the community college,” she said.
The General Assembly did not reach an agreement on the short-session budget in 2024, so funding was not approved.
“In this current legislative session, we have again included that request seeking funding to build a new office in an effort to make this deal happen. It was in the Governor’s budget but was not included in the Senate budget,” Ashby said.
“We have been clear with the community college that we could not consider offers that do not include a permanent and long-term accommodation as the current property offers this. We must be able to support Forest Service operations, including the ability to stage staff and equipment in the event of a wildfire in Cherokee County and/or surrounding counties.
“Our cost to relocate is based on the square footage we have now in Cherokee County and based on the current state building rates for construction. We would be looking to replace exactly the space we have now,” she added.