u/Relative_Candidate84

Historic Mims Forest is a mature riparian forest in one of the fastest growing cities in North Carolina. Our small (20 sq mi) town has seen our population double and thousands of acres of mature forest and wetlands destroyed over the last decade and those numbers are escalating. The days are hotter and our rainfall has drastically decreased. We are now experiencing a historic drought thanks to our tree canopy and wetland devastation.

We established a movement to save Mims Forest and its inhabitants since the town already has planned 2 additional urban parks for construction on 70 acres of natural habitat. We can save this 17 acre forest if we focus enough attention to the need for preservation. We have over 500 signatures and still growing. Please consider signing. (More facts about Mims listed below and on our petition page).

Genuinely THANK YOU to all who stand with us 🌳 🍃 🦌 🦝 🐍 🦅 🕊️ 🌳

change.org/mimspreserve

Additional request  for those interested…

Please consider emailing the mayor & town council. Please be respectful but emphasize that preservation of the entire 17-acre historic forest is critical. The mayor‘s email address is Mike.kondratick at hollyspringsnc.gov and to email the rest of the council, please visit the town of Holly Springs website to access those email addresses and phone numbers. 

Example email with data below. You can copy/paste to send to the town council and mayor. 

Why this 17-acre forest should be preserved:

• Rare, irreplaceable ecosystem
  • Old-growth forest (Southeastern U.S.) + Riparian zone + Wetland
  • 150–200+ years old; cannot be recreated within human timeframes
• Immediate destruction from land clearing
  • Bulldozing causes direct wildlife mortality and eliminates habitat instantly
  • Removes acres of mature canopy and destroys nesting, breeding, and shelter areas
• Creek disturbance causes lasting ecological damage
  • “Cleaning” or reshaping streams kills aquatic life and removes critical habitat
  • Artificial channels do not replicate natural function and degrade water quality
• Microclimate loss (cooling + stability)
  • Mature canopy provides significant cooling, humidity control, and wind buffering
  • Removal increases heat and dries the landscape
  • Recovery: 50–100+ years for canopy; centuries for true old-growth conditions
• Carbon impact (climate consequence)
  • Mature forest is a high-capacity carbon sink
  • Clearing releases stored carbon immediately (trees + soils)
  • A 17-acre intact forest stores substantially more carbon than a reduced fragment
  • Lost carbon capacity takes generations to recover
• Turf grass and development impacts
  • Requires mowing → chronic noise pollution
  • Fertilizers and chemicals → groundwater and stream contamination
  • Provides minimal ecological value
• Lighting and sound disruption
  • Artificial lighting harms pollinators and disrupts wildlife behavior
  • Amplified sound causes habitat avoidance, stress, and reduced reproduction
• Biodiversity and habitat fragmentation
  • Breaking a contiguous forest reduces resilience and species diversity
  • Disrupts wildlife corridors and favors invasive species
• Soil and watershed degradation
  • Compaction reduces infiltration and increases runoff
  • Sedimentation harms aquatic ecosystems
  • Destroys root and soil networks essential for ecosystem health
• Community benefit and leadership
  • Intact forests provide air filtration, cooling, and mental health benefits
  • Preservation is increasingly rare—this is an opportunity to lead
  • Positions the town as forward-thinking and responsible
  • This decision will be recognized as protecting a resource that cannot be replaced once lost

There are clear reasons not to pursue an urban park at Mims. A mature forest within town limits is increasingly rare in this region, and Holly Springs has an opportunity to prioritize preservation over avoidable loss. Two additional parks are already planned within minutes of Mims, reducing the need for further development at this site.

Replanting and restoration are not equivalent to preserving mature habitat; once cleared, it takes decades to recover even a fraction of the ecological function lost.

The 7-acre Rex Road site will eliminate a riparian woodland, despite strong public opposition expressed during the April 15 Zoom meeting. The 56-acre Cass Holt Road sports and urban park is also planned within riparian woodland.

Taken together, these projects will cause the loss of roughly 70 acres of forest and wetland habitat. This level of destruction is not necessary to provide recreational space and comes with significant ecological costs, including impacts to wildlife, water systems, and long-established tree canopy.

 “Tree City USA” (Arbor Day Foundation) guidelines are not optimized for preservation:

• Prioritizes planting quotas over preservation of existing forests
• Effectively endorses clearing mature canopy if replaced to meet metrics
• Reduces forests to tree counts, ignoring age, size, and ecological function
• Treats ornamental plantings as equal to native, biodiverse ecosystems
• Overlooks habitat continuity, wetlands, soil integrity, and wildlife
• Permits net ecological loss while still qualifying communities

Hello all,

This is my first post in your group. I wanted to share this conversation about a 17 acre historic riparian forest that we are trying to save in our small (20 sq mi) town.

Holly Springs is one of the fastest growing towns in North Carolina. we’ve seen thousands of acres of mature woodland and wetland developed in a short span of time, and it’s only escalating.

Our town leaders plan to clear cut riparian woodland to build more than 70 acres of parks and sports parks, and we are asking that 17 acres be preserved.

Most this forum and its visitors are well educated about the need for conservation. I likely don’t even have to list the reasons that we want to preserve Mims forest, but I thought I would in case anyone else out there is fighting for a similar cause in their own region. I would love for this to help even one person with their own preservation efforts.

We have over 500 signatures and our movement is still growing. I truly believe we have to work together to make an impact. If you feel inclined to help support our forest, we have a petition on change.org🌳 Thank you 🌳

* * * * *

Why this 17-acre forest should be preserved:

• Rare, irreplaceable ecosystem
  • Old-growth forest (Southeastern U.S.) + Riparian zone + Wetland
  • 150–200+ years old; cannot be recreated within human timeframes
• Immediate destruction from land clearing
  • Bulldozing causes direct wildlife mortality and eliminates habitat instantly
  • Removes acres of mature canopy and destroys nesting, breeding, and shelter areas
• Creek disturbance causes lasting ecological damage
  • “Cleaning” or reshaping streams kills aquatic life and removes critical habitat
  • Artificial channels do not replicate natural function and degrade water quality
• Microclimate loss (cooling + stability)
  • Mature canopy provides significant cooling, humidity control, and wind buffering
  • Removal increases heat and dries the landscape
  • Recovery: 50–100+ years for canopy; centuries for true old-growth conditions
• Carbon impact (climate consequence)
  • Mature forest is a high-capacity carbon sink
  • Clearing releases stored carbon immediately (trees + soils)
  • A 17-acre intact forest stores substantially more carbon than a reduced fragment
  • Lost carbon capacity takes generations to recover
• Turf grass and development impacts
  • Requires mowing → chronic noise pollution
  • Fertilizers and chemicals → groundwater and stream contamination
  • Provides minimal ecological value
• Lighting and sound disruption
  • Artificial lighting harms pollinators and disrupts wildlife behavior
  • Amplified sound causes habitat avoidance, stress, and reduced reproduction
• Biodiversity and habitat fragmentation
  • Breaking a contiguous forest reduces resilience and species diversity
  • Disrupts wildlife corridors and favors invasive species
• Soil and watershed degradation
  • Compaction reduces infiltration and increases runoff
  • Sedimentation harms aquatic ecosystems
  • Destroys root and soil networks essential for ecosystem health
• Community benefit and leadership
  • Intact forests provide air filtration, cooling, and mental health benefits
  • Preservation is increasingly rare—this is an opportunity to lead
  • Positions the town as forward-thinking and responsible
  • This decision will be recognized as protecting a resource that cannot be replaced once lost

There are clear reasons not to pursue an urban park at Mims. A mature forest within town limits is increasingly rare in this region, and Holly Springs has an opportunity to prioritize preservation over avoidable loss. Two additional parks are already planned within minutes of Mims, reducing the need for further development at this site.

Replanting and restoration are not equivalent to preserving mature habitat; once cleared, it takes decades to recover even a fraction of the ecological function lost.

The 7-acre Rex Road site will eliminate a riparian woodland, despite strong public opposition expressed during the April 15 Zoom meeting. The 56-acre Cass Holt Road sports and urban park is also planned within riparian woodland.

Taken together, these projects will cause the loss of roughly 70 acres of forest and wetland habitat. This level of destruction is not necessary to provide recreational space and comes with significant ecological costs, including impacts to wildlife, water systems, and long-established tree canopy.

 “Tree City USA” (Arbor Day Foundation) guidelines are not optimized for preservation:

• Prioritizes planting quotas over preservation of existing forests
• Effectively endorses clearing mature canopy if replaced to meet metrics
• Reduces forests to tree counts, ignoring age, size, and ecological function
• Treats ornamental plantings as equal to native, biodiverse ecosystems
• Overlooks habitat continuity, wetlands, soil integrity, and wildlife
• Permits net ecological loss while still qualifying communities