Editorial: Christmas comes early to Bays Mountain Park

Christmas has come early for Kingsport's recreational resources including Bays Mountain Park, the largest city-owned park in Tennessee, with the second largest of recent grants from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.Previously, these state grants have been limited to $500,000. They are given to various communities throughout the state for trail development and capital projects in parks, greenways and natural areas, where the state funding is matched by the local government to "help expand access to outdoor opportunities and improve quality of life for Tennesseans," a state news release said.But in announcing its awarding of $21 million in grants to 27 communities this fall, Bays Mountain got $2.9 million — a huge bonus that will allow continued improvements at the park to be done much earlier than anticipated.With the local match, and a heartwarming donation from the James and Laura Rogers Foundation, $6 million will be used to add natural surface and skills areas to the bike trails at Brickyard Park along with a lighted parking lot expansion with Americans with Disabilities Act compliant connections.As well, it will help fund an ADA accessible entry walk and event terrace for the Nature Center at Bays Mountain Park, revamp the Kid's Cave on the lower level of the center and make it confirm to ADA, and construct a new otter habitat with ADA-accessible pathways and viewing areas.Brickyard is the city's impressive 43-acre sports facility and community park that includes four ballfields, a Miracle League field, fully accessible playground, pump track and the Scott Adams Memorial Skatepark.Bays Mountain is 3,750 acres of nature preserve including a 44-acre lake, a nature center, a state-of-the-art planetarium, and animal habitats featuring wolves, bobcats, raptors and reptiles.Assistant City Manager Michael Borders said the city strategically applied for this year's grant using public donations to combine with city contributions to meet the 50-50 grant match requirement.The award fits right in with the city's March approval of an improvement plan for Bays Mountain, which celebrated its 50th anniversary three years ago.With this new money, the park is on track to receive $10 million in new investment including $5.5 million from the city, $2.5 million from private supporters, and $2 million from the state.Most of the city money has gone toward roadwork, sewers and dam repair for the lake.The largest private supporter is the Rogers Foundation."Our family believes we should be good stewards with all we've been given, and what better way to do that than to support the Bays Mountain Park," said Laura Rogers. "It is a blessing that the state has partnered with us in this endeavor."The foundation is the lead donor to Bays Mountain, and the center was rededicated as the Good Steward Nature Center in May to honor the foundation.However, Borders said more grants could come from additional state tourism and museum grants, the latter for the Farmstead Museum at Bays Mountain.It closed July 15 for construction funded by a $75,000 state grant and is to reopen this fall.A survey after the 50th anniversary of Bays Mountain Park found the top two attractions respondents listed were visiting the animals and hiking, with the planetarium and barge ride next in line.That was used to prioritize the list of projects in the park improvement plan, which will continue to develop with this new money, an asset the likes of which few communities can boast of.In announcing its awarding of $21 million in grants to 27 communities this fall, Bays Mountain got $2.9 million — a huge bonus that will allow continued improvements at the park to be done much earlier than anticipated.