SWAN QUARTER — Plans for renovating the Mattamuskeet Lodge are moving forward, according to Kris Noble, assistant Hyde County manager.

Noble said the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is working to repair the tower and roof of the 100-year-old building.

“We are now in a process of looking for partners and new funding sources. We are looking for funding sources that match well with specific elements of the project, including but not limited to wildlife education, tourism and private investors,” Noble wrote in an email.

She said she is currently working with architect Mark Williard on plans for the next part in phase III renovations, which involves interior and exterior work. Phases I and II were completed in 2010.

Mattamuskeet Lodge was first built as a pumping station in 1915, and then transitioned into a hunting lodge in 1937. The lodge was closed in the mid-1970s after the Canada goose population plummeted by the thousands, due to changes in bird migration. Stakeholders in Hyde County have sought to reclaim some of its former glory.

“The Mattamuskeet Lodge has for decades been the heart of mainland Hyde County,” Noble wrote. “Its position on the banks of the Mattamuskeet Lake and Refuge make it the ideal gateway to some of the most abundant and renowned natural areas in the state.”

Mattamuskeet Lodge was placed on the National Historic Register in 1980.

Hyde County also sought funding from the state legislature during its last session for the renovations, but to no avail. Stakeholders will continue to seek state funds for the project, however.

“We are hoping to bring in other partners to provide portions of funding and to also produce a plan that hopefully the state can get behind,” Noble said.

“The lodge and lake are well known and hold a special place in the hearts of hunters, fishermen and wildlife enthusiasts, and the reopening would spur much-needed economic stimulus in the county, the region and the state,” she said.