County tourism boosters will hold a meeting at and tour the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge next month.
During the its meeting May 11, the Anson County Tourism Development Authority decided to hold its meeting at the refuge so board members will have a chance to tour the 8,500 acres of pine forests, open water amd croplands.
Refuge manager J.D. Bricken invited the board to tour the property and see a canoe launch recently finished on the river.
Bricken said the refuge received a grant for a floating classroom — to be converted from a fishing pier — that will be used for visiting school groups.
WAYFINDING SIGNS
Board Chairman Jeff Boothby said that the county branding and wayfinding project is still underway, though some municipalities have not yet responded.
Boothby and board member Lewis Evans said that they did not make individual presentations for every town council but that town representatives were invited to a meeting about the project and that some did not send representatives.
The county needs to focus on its signage in the county as part of Phase 1 of the project, Boothby said. The towns and county have still not committed funding to the project, though he added the town of Wadesboro was “excited” about it.
Some of the signs Boothby suggested were to market the paddle trail connected by the recently installed boat launches along the river. The signs should be large to catch the attention of motorists speeding along the 55 mph highways, he said.
FINANCES
According to Boothby, the board stayed well within its budget this year and ended up with a surplus that he would like to see better applied next year.
Some of the extra was the result of a reduced need for office supplies, Internet and similar expenses since the board moved into the Chamber of Commerce to hold its meetings.
“Something I think we need to keep in mind is there was some excess this year,” Boothby said. “So as we develop the budget for next year over the next few weeks to present for the next meeting and adjust it however we need to, we need to kind of get an idea of how we can do more and where we might be able to take some money that just isn’t used every year and put it somewhere that might be a better use for it.”
According to Boothby, the county commissioners said the tourism board should have a similar budget for the next fiscal year.
The board’s next regular meeting will be held 11 a.m. June 8 at Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, located at 5770 U.S. Highway 52 North in Wadesboro.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.