Tribal officials of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) held a groundbreaking for improvements to the Soco Falls Trailhead on the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 13. Shown, left to right, are Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks, Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) Chairman Mike Parker, RJ Arneach, Wayohi (Wolftown) Rep. Bo Crowe, Aniwodihi (Painttown) Rep. Michael Stamper, Elawodi (Yellowhill) Rep. David Wolfe, Becky Bowe, Yancey Jones, Kim Deas, Zack Hicks, Justin French, and Brett Smith. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Tribal officials of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) held a groundbreaking for improvements to the Soco Falls Trailhead on the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 13. The project is being paid for with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funds.
Rebecca Bowe, EBCI Project Management manager, told the One Feather, “We are relocating the trailhead and parking area to create a safer and more enjoyable experience for the tribal community and visitors. The project will begin construction in January and will be completed in the Spring 2025. The existing trail will temporarily be closed as we work to create a new this new endeavor.”
Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) said at the groundbreaking, “This is probably one of my favorite views in Cherokee and I know there’s going to be a lot of great memories from this day.”
He added, “We’ve spent a lot of time this year…working on a capital project plan. There’s been a lot of time spent on it trying to make sure that we’re properly planning, that we’re aligning projects with resources, both human resources and financial resources. But, we’ve made a lot of projects.”
Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) Chairman Michael Parker said it is an exciting project. “We’ve been working on improving access to the Soco Falls for a number of years now. To see it finally come to fruition is fantastic. It’s exciting. We know, after Covid, that outdoor ventures such as this, these opportunities are highly in demand. They’re low-cost, everybody can take advantage of this type of stuff. And it also is a great marketing tool for the Tribe.
We’ve been working on improving access to the Soco Falls for a number of years now. To see it finally come to fruition is fantastic. It’s exciting. We know, after Covid, that outdoor ventures such as this, these opportunities are highly in demand. They’re low-cost, everybody can take advantage of this type of stuff. And it also is a great marketing tool for the Tribe.”
The One Feather inquired with EBCI officials as to the total cost of the project and was told that information would not be provided.
