Additional detail on uses:
Local governments in the affected areas can apply to acquire land for parks and build recreational facilities for use by the public. A project must be located on a single site. For projects on school property: Only recreational facilities not generally provided at schools are eligible. A local government and a school system must include an executed joint-use agreement with their application. The agreement describes how the school site will be used for public recreation. PARTF must approve the agreement before the application can be considered. Contact your RRS regional consultant to receive a sample agreement.
Details on who is eligible: North Carolina counties and incorporated municipalities in the affected areas are eligible for Helene Recovery grants. Public authorities, as defined by N.C. General Statute 159-7, are also eligible if they are authorized to acquire land or develop recreational facilities for the general public. Two or more local governments may apply jointly with one serving as the primary sponsor. Per SL 2025-26, House Bill 1012, eligible counties are listed below and include counties designated before, on, or after the effective date of this act under a major disaster declaration by the President of the United States under the Stafford Act (P.L. 93-288) as a result of Hurricane Helene. Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
Award Selection Criteria:
The PARTF staff evaluates each application. The evaluation includes the Helene Recovery Fund scoring system included in this application, an on-site inspection by RRS, and a review of the applicant’s previous grant history.
The Parks and Recreation Authority, a board appointed by the Governor and the General Assembly, selects grant recipients for funds allocated to PARTF. The factors that the Authority members consider
include the following:
- the applicant’s description and impact narrative for the project
- the application’s ranking based on the scoring system
- the geographic distribution of grants across the eligible Hurricane Helene affected area
- the distribution of grants to local governments with small, medium, and large populations
- the applicant’s administration of previous grants
- the amount of grant funds that the applicant is requesting
- the amount of grant funds available
Specific Compliance Requirements:
Applicants must have control of the project site for development projects. An applicant must own or have at least a 25-year signed lease or easement for the property where a PARTF facility will be located.Property acquired with PARTF must be dedicated forever for public recreational use. Facilities built or renovated with a PARTF grant must be available for public recreational use for at least 25 years.