License Statement

The State of North Carolina and Carolina Power & Light (now Duke Energy) established the Pigeon River Fund. CP&L, pursuant to a License issued November 4, 1994 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), provided funds to support the types of purposes outlined in this grantmaking program. Projects and activities must provide direct benefits: to surface water quality; fish and wildlife habitat in the immediate vicinity of a surface water body; fishery management; or public access to a surface water body in a covered river basin. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing criteria, preparation of river management plans and watershed studies and acquisition of conservation easements shall be considered to provide such direct benefits. "Covered river basin" shall include the Pigeon River and French Broad River basins as depicted in the State of North Carolina Hydrologic Unit Map - 1974. A majority of the Fund dollars authorized for expenditure in any given year must be committed within the Pigeon River Basin, unless the Pigeon River Fund Board determines that this condition should be waived due to the unavailability of projects in the Pigeon River Basin. Activities undertaken with contributions by the licensee must provide direct benefits within the Carolina Power & Light service area in Western North Carolina as it existed the date of this license. Projects and activities must not be related to or in support of litigation in any administrative or judicial forum, other than litigation intended to protect the Fund's monetary assets or in defense of challenges to the Pigeon River Fund Board's decisions.