IMPROVED SITES FOR HIBERNIA CLEARS FEDERAL HURDLE

A number of prime camping sites at Hibernia State Recreation Area have been approved for improvements or rehab by the US Army Corps of Engineers.  NC State Parks officials had to get Corps approval to make site changes as the federal government is actually the owner of the seven NC State Recreation areas around Kerr Lake.  According to Bryce Fleming, the Park Superintendent, layout could start soon, “The paperwork for the resource management review was completed and sent to me last week so I was able to send the whole project package to the North District Office for approval.  The project funding account should be set up as soon as the final approval goes through, which I do not anticipate will take too long.”

Those sites, though prime, have had virtually no improvements since the 1950’s except for some electric improvements and smatterings of gravel.



In its campaign to get more and larger RV and/or electric-water campsites around the lake, Kerr Lake Park Watch uses two designations to identify campsites: undefined and defined.  There’s a lot of difference as can be seen from the above photo which is an undefined campsite; typically, an open site, rough, unlevel, no upgraded fire pit, no lantern pole and most of all no real definitive layout as to where the camper fits on the site.

Conversely, the defined site is close to level with a timbered border, filled with gravel and the other components including a picnic table in an area that is also defined.



The above illustration shows the new defined site plan for the same site in the color photo above.  KLPW has worked closely with parks officials to see that these and future rehab sites, especially for RV’s, do not have too many split levels on the sites, making it difficult for a camper to fully use an awning, a picnic area and screen house or combining a tent and RV on the site.

The sites, 93 – 99, could be flagged as early as next week, according to Fleming with ground-breaking on the improvements by next month.  All of that, of course, is weather permitting.