The lack of adequate recreational programs and facilities is a menace to the morals, happiness, and welfare of the people of this State. Making available recreational opportunities for citizens of all ages is a subject of general interest and concern, and a function requiring appropriate action by both State and local government. The General Assembly therefore declares that the public good and the general welfare of the citizens of this State require adequate recreation programs, that the creation, establishment, and operation of parks and recreation programs is a proper governmental function, and that it is the policy of North Carolina to forever encourage, foster, and provide these facilities and programs for all its citizens.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160A-351
Declaration of State policy
Known as the Recreation Enabling Law
The act spans §§ 160–160 (10 sections).
Applied in 3 court decisions — leading case Horne ex rel. Heintzelman v. Town of Blowing Rock (2012)
Most recently applied in Town of Sandy Creek v. East Coast Contracting, Inc. (April 2013)
1945, c. 1052; 1971, c. 698, s. 1.
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: North Carolina General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain North Carolina statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.