State of N.C.

Crescent Resources, LLC

Burke and McDowell counties

Business and development communities

The Foothills Conservancy

The Citizens to Save Lake James

The Lake James Task Force 

The Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented the interests of the Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups

Crescent Resources, LLC sold 2,915 acres of property on Lake James in Burke County to the state of North Carolina for the expansion of Lake James State Park in 2004. To facilitate the transaction, Crescent Resources made a one-time multi-million dollar gift to the state.

“The Lake James State Park expansion, from its current 605 acres to more than 3,500 acres, will bring jobs to the region and protect the area’s scenic beauty, ” Gov. Mike Easley said.  “This expansion will connect public lands and trails and help to promote tourism and recreational opportunities.  I want to thank Crescent Resources for its progressive and insightful leadership, generosity and cooperation."

Lake James , located in Burke and McDowell counties, is the first lake along the 300-mile Catawba River chain. The future park expansion site is located on the northeastern side of the lake fed by the Linville River . The site includes sections known locally as Long Arm and Paddy's Creek. With 30 miles of lake frontage, these sections provide scenic views of the Linville Gorge, Short Off Mountain and other distinguishing peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains .

"For close to four decades, Crescent has had the great privilege of managing these 2,915 acres,” said Art Fields, Crescent's president and CEO. “Significant time and effort have gone into developing an overall plan that creates a regional economic driver for the Lake James Region. Expanding the state park at Lake James is a key component in that plan.”

The overall plan is the result of two years of intensive planning discussions between Crescent and interested stakeholders, including officials from Burke and McDowell counties, the business and development communities, the Foothills Conservancy, the Citizens to Save Lake James, the Lake James Task Force and the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented the interests of the Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups.