Clear Cutting of 40 Acres in Chapel Hill, Carrboro Begins

Crews began working on clear cutting roughly 40 acres in Carrboro on Wednesday.

The first steps included cutting in a roadway for heavy equipment to access the acreage.

The property owned by PH Craig has been a subject of efforts from Chapel Hill, Carrboro and local advocacy groups, including Friends of Bolin Creek, to investigate options that could mitigate any clear cutting. The large, wooded tract sits between acreage owned by Carrboro and UNC that, collectively, forms one of the largest contiguous wooded areas in southern Orange County.

A press release from Carrboro in June said that a permit had been granted to timber the property, a portion of which spills into Chapel Hill. The property is outside of local regulations because of the state-issued timbering rights. A community meeting was subsequently held in August in an attempt to rally opposition to the proposed clear cutting.

The Craig property has been a wooded area for decades that has been used by community members for walking trails.

Opponents of the clear cutting also say it will cause environmental damage to the surrounding area and Bolin Creek, which winds its way through the property.

“The project is expected to be completed in the next several weeks during which Town and state staff will be inspecting the site before and during the timber harvesting process to make sure it complies with the requirements of its timber permit,” officials from Chapel Hill and Carrboro said in a joint release on Thursday.

When announcing the intentions to clear cut, Craig said that he intends to replant Loblolly Pines on the property. Craig has maintained the property needs to be clear cut for the tract’s long-term health.

Photo via Town of Carrboro