Sign the Online Petition

There is quite a range of signatures coming from many parts of our community, not just trail runners. They share a common thread - preserve the forest, otherwise, it will be lost.

Here are a few comments that we should all share:

"I ran the Carrboro 50K last year on some of these trails and was amazed by the forest's beauty, quietude, and wilderness character so close to a metropolis. On behalf of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine's quarter-million readers, I urge you to preserve the trails and ecology of Carolina North." [Will Harlan]

"Preserving a large percentage of this property in perpetuity is visionary and completely consistent with the University's mission. Refusing to do so is consistent with the predominant and misguided cultural paradigm that humans sequester themselves from the natural world to satisfy various perceived needs. I truly hope that our collective wisdom can embrace the idea that higher education can shift it's focus from (perpetual)upward mobility to ""homecoming"": becoming intimate with and deeply caring about our place and habitat. This for me is the crux of the tension, and I truly hope the trustees can see the value to future generations in preserving a small remnant of the natural world. Doing so would be a large step in creating the unique and special place that we all desire." [Randy Dodd]

"The Horace Williams Tract was a big part of my college running experience - it would be a great loss to the running community if it were lost." [Giles Ward]

"Development has severed the important contiguous wildlife corridors in Chapel Hill at an rapid rate. I have seen more wildlife at the Horace Williams Tract, like redtailed fox, albino deer, and many species of birds I've not seen anywhere else around here. The Horace Willaims Tract stands as one of the last safe places for diversity of wildlife's survival. Please do all you can to grant that special land its deserved perpetuity.Thank you for paying attention to our children's future and the future of a healthy community in Chapel Hill." [Callie Ward]

"I am a geology student and along with classmates made a geologic map of the forest. I have been through almost all of it and appreciate the value of preserving the forest. It is an excellent place for recreation and study." [Colin Justice]

"Please please preserve this land. The main reason we love living here so very much is because of the green space. There are so many wonderful things to see and experience back there, owls, deer, birds, trees, etc. It would be so sad if this were not preserved." [Margaret Cannon]

"The forests of the Horace Williams tract is a huge part of what makes living in Chapel Hill/Carrboro and working at UNC so great." [Jeff Gray]

"Bolin Forest and Creek are natural treasures that should be preserved for future generations to use and enjoy. Southern Orange County is being developed at an alarming rate. The Horace Williams Tract is the largest undeveloped property im the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. Preservation in perpetuity of as much of this property as possible will be of incalculable value to future residents ,students and faculty of the University for recreation, nature study and regeneration of the soul. We must seize this opportunity today because if we wait until tomorrow,it will be gone forever!" [David Otto]

"The HWT preserved as forest will be a better investment in the long term than short sighted development incomes. The accessibility for recreation is unparalleled in this region. Chapel Hill is the home of the first public university in America, lets not ruin our honor and prestige be turning our local beauty into business." [Katherine Zeman]

...and there's plenty more where these come from....

Last Updated Tuesday, June 19 2007 @ 09:47 AM EDT