FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 18, 2003 Land Trust Donates Utility Vehicle to State Park Lancaster, South Carolina The Katawba Valley Land Trust has donated a John Deere Gator utility vehicle to Landsford Canal State Park, it was announced today by D. Lindsay Pettus, Land Trust President. "We are happy to be able to assist the park by providing a badly needed piece of equipment," said Pettus. "Our land trust has had an ongoing partnership with Landsford Canal State Park for a number of years, and we hope this gift will enhance the ability of the staff to maintain the trails and provide for the safety of the visiting public." The gift was made possible by a generous donation from Crescent Resources, LLC, a business unit of Duke Energy. The John Deere Gator is a four-wheel drive utility vehicle which can access remote areas such as trails and undeveloped roads. Landsford Canal State Park and the surrounding public lands total almost 1,500 acres, much of which is inaccessible by conventional vehicles. In the case of an accident in a remote part of the park, the ability to provide access to evacuate the victim is critical. Maintenance activities on the park's trails will also be enhanced. The Gator will enable the staff to transport cross tie steps, signs, mulch, and other bulky materials to sections of the park's trails that are inaccessible to other vehicles. Al James, Superintendent, stated, "This gift will be a valuable addition to the park. It will be used for trail maintenance and as a safety vehicle. We are very thankful to the Katawba Valley Land Trust and Crescent Resources for their ongoing efforts to improve the park and to protect the natural and cultural resources which we enjoy." The Gator was delivered to the park on June 16 and is currently in use. The Katawba Valley Land Trust is a nonprofit, private conservation organization dedicated to the protection of natural resources, open lands, waters, historic resources, and vistas of aesthetic value in the Catawba River Valley and surrounding areas of South Carolina. For additional information, please contact: D. Lindsay Pettus (803) 285-9455 or Al James (803) 789-5800.

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