RDU quarry dispute shows need to rethink public land use for recreation

In the mid-1980s off-road cyclists were searching for vacant land to pursue the new sport of mountain biking. Any neighborhood lot was close enough for renegade trails, and it didn’t require a lot of effort to provide thrills beyond the growing network of graded asphalt “greenway trails” across the Triangle.

But with growth those vacant lands were disappearing, along with access for renegade trail builders and riders. Volunteers with NC FATS (for fat tire bikes), the forerunner of Triangle Off Road Cyclists (TORC), lobbied Wake County to sanction and support an effort to build and maintain trails on the high ground above the new Lake Crabtree County Park. Since this land was leased from Raleigh Durham Airport Authority (RDU), its permission was needed. The management would fall to both Wake County and the volunteers, and the site was clearly bounded by the Lake, Aviation Parkway and I-40.

Wake County’s park staff and the TORC volunteers have demonstrated many years of excellent stewardship by cooperating with trail closures and regular work days in exchange for decades of healthy, legal outdoor experiences. It wasn’t long before the demand, and growing skill levels of the off-road cycling community, sought new ground to explore. Based on positive experiences with Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space management, new sanctioned riding opportunities were developed at Harris Lake County Park, New Light (NC Wildlife Resources) and Beaverdam (NC State Parks) among other locations.

But many adventurous souls found space in the heart of the Triangle just across Reedy Creek Road and next to Crabtree Creek — kept quietly out of print and whispered around the water cooler. The “Rocky Road” area owned by RDU was laced with stone-strewn trails and the “No Trespass” signs were ignored for years. I rode those trails a couple of times in the early ‘90’s and found the area beautiful but the trails really unforgiving and even unpleasant. Remember the rocks?

Geology reveals this land, as with the adjacent quarry across the creek, is underlain with the rock associated with a Triassic basin fault, resulting in rocky conditions primarily east of Reedy Creek Road. Hence the interest in building a new quarry there. In fact, a number of present and past quarries and dams can be found along this line through the Triangle.

So, we find ourselves in conflict between people who want an off-road cycling area and RDU’s need for income. It pits a prosperous international airport seeking a robust economic plan and security against an educated and healthy population that seeks adventure and respite close to home. Hindsight is always a little clearer, but we should be able to find compromise amid all our good fortune in the Triangle.

With all the political and social rancor of the past couple of years, perhaps we can take a step back and rethink how the public resources (land, economics, our health) in the heart of our region can serve our interests better. By taking an all-or-nothing approach to preserving park land or mining stone we have missed an opportunity for compromise.

RDU was clear in its master plan process that it needed long-term revenue sources. Park advocates are just as committed to the jewel that is Umstead Park. The “RDU Forest” concept sought to protect the park and access to the area. Maybe we can find a trail in 2020 that meets multiple interests by providing RDU revenue and an agreement on conservation of valuable and scarce natural spaces. After all, isn’t part of something better than all of nothing?