The news of the planned sale of Chimney Rock Park has certainly caught the attention of people here, from the state and many parts beyond.
  Fourth-generation owner/presi­dent Todd B. Morse and owner/ chairman of the board Lucius Morse announced the decision to sell the privately owned 1,000-acre park early last month.
  Morse’s great-great uncle Lucius B. Morse opened the park in 1902 as a tourist destination.
  Park owners said after much thought and reflection on “ our fam­ily’s proud century-long relationship with our beloved Chimney Rock Park, we feel the time has come for us to step aside and identify the next steward to oversee this majes­tic part of the world.” The family listed the property with Sotheby’s International Realty because of Sotheby’s 260-year expe­rience in handling unique treasures, combined with its worldwide real estate organization that provides high level service in representing extraordinary estates.
  “Our family feels that Sotheby’s is distinctly qualified to help us con­nect with individuals or organiza­tions who truly appreciate the uniqueness of our property and respect its legacy,” Morse said.
  A lot of people are talking about what should be done, how, why and when.
  Todd himself said recently that no one knows what the future holds but he is optimistic that the Park will be owned by someone with a passion for preserving the moun­tain.
  Ideally, Todd wanted his own young sons to become owners of the Park some day.
  As the business climate has changed and as development in the mountains has changed, the family had to have a strategic plan. Todd said it was the hardest decision he has ever had to make.
  The Morses have had negotiations with the state of North Carolina which is also putting up money for the Hickory Nut Gorge State Park.
  Friends of the Hickory Nut Gorge, Chimney Rock Village Council, con­servancy groups and others are among those who are doing every­thing they can to save the park.
  As the sell is in negotiations and much thought, one thing about the Park that puzzles me is — too few Rutherford Countians have been to the Park.
  When you ask people out on the street if they’ve been there, they haven’t. That’s not unusual.
  Statistics show that people who live the closest to an attraction are often the ones who don’t visit.
  There is so much more to Chim­ney Rock Park than the rock. The Park is fabulous.
  Many times over the past 25 or 30 years, I’ve hiked the trails out to the 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls. I’ve even hiked to the top of the moun­tain, from the bottom up, not even taking the amazing 25-foot elevator ride through the cool mountains.
  The trails, flowers, birds, the wildlife, the streams and beauty of the Park are awesome. Do your­selves a big favor. Don’t just wonder about it and talk about it. Go see it.
  Earlier this year my little nephew and I hiked along the Woodland’s Children’s Trail and had a wonder­ful time.
  Do whatever you can to save Chimney Rock Park, write letters and make telephone calls and for pete’s sake — go.
  You won’t believe it. Hike those trails right here at home.
  For more information on what you can do, visit the website: SaveChimneyRock.net
 Gordon is Daily Courier features editor.
  Contact her via e-mail at jgordon@thedi­gialcourier

PARK

From staff reports
 CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE — In 2005, the tourism industry created a nearly $120 million impact on the economy of Rutherford County alone.
  Money flowing from the more than 200,000 people who visit Chimney Rock Park each year are clearly a big part of that figure.
  The icon of the chimney, the park’s cache and the Morse family’s com­mitment to preserving the natural beauty of the property add immea­surable value to Hickory Nut Gorge and the region’s ability to draw tourists.
  Businesses in Chimney Rock Village and around the Gorge bene­fit directly from the park’s visitors and from the viewshed protection the park has maintained.
  The park’s future is uncertain after the recent announcement by the park owners, the Morse family, that the park was for sale. It is listed with Sotheby’s International Realty for $55 million.
  Private investors are touring the property. In addition, there are negotiations ongoing between the family and the State of North Carolina for possible inclusion of the property in the future Hickory Nut Gorge State Park.
  What the future holds in not clear,
 Please see Park, but what is known is that the present day park is an anchor to the region’s economy.
  “ The shear uniqueness of the park has made it an icon from a travel and tourism prospective,” said Christine Mackey, director of tourism programs for the North Carolina Division of Tourism.
  “ The uniqueness of all the attractions we have to offer in places like Biltmore, like Chimney Rock, like Grandfather Mountain — you can’t really duplicate those any place else. You can’t build them.” Mackey said surveys have con­sistently shown the main rea­son people come to North Carolina is for the scenery.
  “Natural scenic beauty, whether it is the mountains or the coast, continues to be the leading reason people come to North Carolina,” she said. “ They come to see and experience something that is real as opposed to something that is man-made.” At the base of Chimney Rock Mountain sits the village of Chimney Rock, whose economy is founded in tourism.
  People there are concerned about the future of the park, expressing how important it is to their business.
  “If the park did close down and did go private, I think it would hurt the economy here tremendously,” said Gary Godin who owns a restaurant and a small market in the Gorge.
  Godin lists people from his Critter’s restaurant’s guestbook from places like Hungary, France, South Africa and all over South America he says were drawn here because of the park.
  “ The park advertises probably nationwide and we get a lot of people from all over the world that come here,” he said. “It is a world-wide thing and it is a big draw.” Godin said it would be great if the state would buy the park.
  “I think the state would be foolish (not to buy it) because It brings a lot of money to the state,” he said adding that he thinks more people would come to the Gorge if the state owned the park.
  Up to road at the Wicklow Inn, Sharon Lloyd looks up every day and recognizes the value of the park.
  “I live right across the river from the rock, the chimney; I certainly don’t want to look up there and see a housing devel­opment,” she said.
  Wicklow is concerned about over-development in the Gorge. “It would be bad for the ecolo­gy of the area, we just can’t cut down that many trees and put that many homes up there,” she said noting the muddy mess that comes with heavy rain.
  “Our last flood a few weeks ago shows us that. It would be emotionally devastating and financially devastating to have storms come after they (devel­op).” Chimney Rock Park draws more than 200,000 visitors a year. Numbers were down in the years after the 9-11 national tragedy but are climbinb again.
  This year, numbers are up 15 percent over last year’s experi­ence, when a total of 215,000 visited the park.
  The park draws heavily from the Carolinas, as expected, but Florida, the Atlanta region and foreign visitors for such coun­tries as Germany, Great Britain and South America, file in by the thousands.
  What draws the crowds, ulti­mately, is the natural beauty of the park and the Gorge.
  Elizabeth Sims of the Biltmore House says they have always felt a type of kinship with Chimney Rock Park, both being private, family-run busi­nesses.
  The two attractions have worked together in marketing and in selling ticket packages to both.
  “ Whenever we talk to the media about what Western North Carolina has to offer, Chimney Rock Park is certainly something that we always talk about,” she said. “ The other really important link between us is the importance of the land and the natural beauty and the natural habitat. It is such a pre­cious commodity now. We cer­tainly take our role as stewards of the land very seriously and I know the Morse family has done that as well.” Sims said Chimney Rock Park is an important icon in North Carolina, something that Tom Johnson, director of the Rutherford County Economic Development Commission, says is a key tool in recruitment efforts.
  “It gives us a Southeastern regional presence in the mar­ketplace,” he said. “Name iden­tify and name recognition are something that we are always trying to achieve. By having things like Chimney Rock Park that gives you that instant name and location recognition.
  That is one of the big benefits, not even talking about the dol­lars that flow in and out.

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