Page 5 - High Knob Master Plan

INTRODUCTION
Standing at 4,200 feet, High Knob is the highest point in the Cumberland Mountains. The summit, part of Stone Mountain and the Jefferson Natural Forests, affords views of five states on a clear day and boasts one of the greatest natural areas in the eastern United States. At 13 miles wide and 26 miles long, this dominant landscape feature is a nationally-significant asset shared between several communities in far Southwest Virginia. High Knob is more than a mountaintop to the communities in its shadow; the peak represents a common link and is a mutual point of pride.
The High Knob Region comprises parts of three counties, one city, and nine towns that surround High Knob. The region is one of eight anchor areas identified by the Southwest Virginia Outdoors Initiative, which formed to develop an outdoor recreation industry in Southwest Virginia. The goal of Southwest Virginia Outdoors is to connect natural and recreational anchors to surrounding communities, and to each other, to develop an aggregation of unparalleled outdoor assets, establishing Southwest Virginia as a national outdoor recreation destination.
A shared history of coal extraction and a tradition of dependence on the coal economy also bonds the High Knob Region. As the coal industry has been in steady decline over the past few decades, leaders in the region are working together to find additional economic development strategies. Collaboration between leaders, community members, and business owners in Lee, Scott, and Wise counties and the City of Norton led to the High Knob Regional Initiative (HKRI).
HKRI aims to promote and enhance the rich natural resources of the region and connect its diverse and vibrant communities to increase tourism based on outdoor recreation while growing local economies. This will in turn attract talent and investment. Building on the Southwest Virginia Outdoors Initiative, the HKRI mission is to establish a collective regional identity by recognizing and developing the High Knob Region as a destination for visitors through the creation of an interconnected system of outdoor recreation activities. Central to this initiative are the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, which serve as the natural host to the region’s communities. The communities, each with its own diverse assets, will connect to this regional system of outdoor recreation opportunities, driving economic development through increased tourism while attracting new businesses and increasing quality of life. HKRI envisions this undiscovered region becoming the destination for an unrivaled outdoor experience: the “High Knob Experience.”
The High Knob Regional Master Plan provides a unified vision and guiding principles for HKRI. The plan outlines strategic recommendations for outreach, branding, marketing, wayfinding, capital improvements, and policy to drive sustainable growth in the region. Leaders in the region can use the plan as a tool to prioritize projects and facilitate their successful implementation.
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