Deep River Heritage Corridor, Inc (a 501(c)3 organization development)
The Deep River Heritage Corridor project is currently being handled under the auspices of the Randolph Heritage Conservancy, a non-profit organization formed to acquire and protect historic and heritage sites along the Deep River. The infrastructure is now being developed to incorporate the Deep River Heritage Corridor, Inc (DRHC) as a separate 501(c)3 corporation. The Project organization serves the communities which lie along the Deep River from its headwaters in Guilford County through Randolph, Moore, Chatham and Lee Counties to where the Deep River merges with the Haw River to form the Cape Fear River. It has always been of the utmost importance to this organization that there be broad-based involvement in the planning and decision making of the corridor project which allows for the voices of all impacted areas to be heard. It is considered of primary importance that all affected communities and individuals have an opportunity for input into the overall development plan for the DRHC in order to ensure that this project provides a sustainable, positive impact on each of the "stakeholders". Toward that end, the group is now organizing into a steering committee which shall be comprised of:

• A representative from each of the seven (7) counties along the river
• A representative from each of the incorporated communities along the river
• A representative from each of the established tourism attractions along the river
• A representative of the Piedmont Land Conservancy Representatives from tourism development agencies within the corridor
• Representatives from the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation

DRHC will serve as the coordinating agency for all projects within the corridor to ensure that the overall concept of the corridor is maintained. In addition, the organization will oversee the operation of the Franklinville Manufacturing Company museum.

While DRHC will oversee the overall concept of the project, the community development aspects and the preservation of the natural landscapes throughout the corridor must be handled under a different organization plan. To ensure that these aspects are developed in the most appropriate manner for each community, DRHC will facilitate the development of two additional steering groups:

Deep River Communities Coalition Initially, through a series of "visioning sessions", the steering committee is developing a clearly identified overall concept plan for the corridor. This overall concept plan will then become the basic framework that will be used for each community to identify their individual part of the overall "story" within the corridor and create their own development plans. DRHC will work with the coalition and the involved communities to facilitate the implementation of each community's redevelopment plan.

Natural Resources Conservation Coalition The Project is already working with the Piedmont Land Conservancy in identifying sensitive wetlands, endangered eco-systems and preservation environments within the corridor. DRHC will assist Piedmont Land Conservancy and the surrounding communities in coordinating efforts to identify and preserve those areas as greenways, linear parks and nature preserves. This will add to the integrity of the corridor experience, as well as provide opportunities for both land/water conservation and natural resource protection planning.

Strategic Planning

Corridor Survey Project The first step in the development of the Deep River National Heritage Corridor will be a comprehensive land survey and heritage/natural resources inventory that will allow for strategic plans to be developed for heritage site preservation, land acquisition and boundary delineation of the corridor

Corridor Master Plan Development Using the information from the survey project, a comprehensive 10 year Development Master Plan will be created for the Deep River Heritage Corridor which will allow for sustainable growth of the corridor while maintaining the integrity of the cultural and heritage story on which the corridor is based.

Deep River Communities Development Master Plans DRHC will work with communities along the corridor to assist in the development of strategic plans for overall community restoration and redevelopment. DRHC will also provide assistance in planning for funding for communities to implement their redevelopment master plans.