Conservation group urges Wake Forest to fund ‘natural areas’ program in CIP

At the boardCIP public hearing, Angela DePaolo, representing the Wake Forest Conservation Alliance, urged the town to allocate capital-improvements funding to establish a natural areas preservation division or program that could identify and protect mature forest parcels and watersheds.

DePaolo described a 12-acre parcel with frontage on Oak Grove Church Road bordering the Wake Forest Reservoir and said the landowner is interested in preserving it. She asked the town to designate CIP funds for land acquisition and legal costs and offered the group's volunteer expertise — including wetland specialists and biologists — to help with site evaluation and conservation planning.

DePaolo said development since the 1990s has removed much of the townformer forest cover, the reservoir watershed has been largely cleared, and riparian-buffer rules currently protect only a narrow strip, leaving many remaining patches vulnerable. She asked the board to consider a dedicated staff position or program within Parks & Rec to pursue preservation while public-access decisions would depend on landowner preference.

Other speakers during the CIP hearing seconded related conservation requests: Pat Hammocks (Neuse River Hawks) urged the board to accept a >25-acre bluff donation with a conservation easement held by Triangle Land Conservancy; speakers emphasized easement monitoring and limited maintenance obligations.

What happens next: The request was recorded in the CIP public hearing. No formal CIP appropriation or staff assignment was adopted during the Sept. 30 meeting; the board will consider CIP priorities as part of its FY2026 planning process.