The City of Brevard signed a lease on June 6 with Conserving Carolina, the nonprofit organization that purchased the nineteen-mile rail corridor from Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, LLC, last year. Effective June 30, 2022, the lease is for fifty years at a cost of $1. The city will be responsible for constructing, maintaining, and policing the Transylvania County section of Ecusta Trail. Henderson County has already executed a lease with Conserving Carolina for the trail in Henderson County.

Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof has sent a letter to owners of property adjoining Ecusta Trail notifying them that the City of Brevard is the leaseholder of the Ecusta Trail in Transylvania County. The City plans to hold a public input session for adjoining property owners later this summer to seek information from them that might affect design and construction and to learn about any concerns they may have.

Chief Tom Jordan of the Brevard Police Department addressed the Brevard Rail-Trail Advisory Board at their monthly meeting on June 29th. He spoke about trail safety and security issues that his department will address prior to the opening of the Trail. This will include wide-ranging input in the design phase for trail markers, emergency access, communications and ordinances that may be required to enforce trail rules. He will also advise the Board about staffing and equipment needs plus mutual aid agreements with other public safety departments.