Campbell launches website detailing reforestation at its River Park property

Visit Campbell University's website detailing its River Park reforestation project

Bryan Denny carries a pitching wedge with him through the trees and thickets along the Cape Fear River on land that once served as the back nine of Campbell University's Keith Hills Golf Course. He isn't searching for errant golf balls - instead, the club makes for a handy spider web shield and potential defense against things slithering through the leaves.

Pointing out areas where tons of asphalt have been dumped over the years, four 20-foot-deep dried up water wells that pose a danger to hikers, the ruins of former homes and a tobacco barn, and a plethora of rotting and fallen pines and trees that are struggling to grow in high-density forest areas, Denny says the time to "hit reset" on the 300-plus acres sandwiched between U.S. 421 and the river is now.

"What we have is a decaying forest. If this area has been better managed over the years, these trees would be healthier and taller. We need a sound forestry plan moving forward."

Opting against selling the property to developers, Campbell University announced plans for a forest management project on its River Park property that will begin with the reforestation of approximately 100 acres. Campbell has owned the land since the early 1970s when planning for Keith Hills began. The University launched a website this week that provides details of the plan and answers to questions and concerns from nearby residents.

"This project provides an opportunity to restore the land, improve forest conditions and establish a healthy new generation of trees that will benefit the university community for decades to come," the site reads. It further explains priorities to protect water quality and "sensitive natural areas," preserving the area as an "outdoor classroom" for Campbell students and preserving the history of the land (one area is home to a possible 19th century graveyard for enslaved individuals that has been untended for decades).

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, reforestation allows for the accelerated development of forested ecosystems following natural disturbance events such as wildfire, wind events, disease infestations or (in this case) planned timber harvests. The USDA documented the reforestation of more than 3.6 million acres of land in the United States in 2025.

The North Carolina Forest Service says a well-planned clearcutting project can be an important tool for managing forests and stimulating new growth. Numerous laws are in place that require protection of soil and water when timber is harvested, and the state inspects thousands of logging jobs each year. The organization also states that many native wildlife thrive in recently clearcut areas.

Bids have gone out for companies looking to purchase and harvest timber, says Henry Randolph, a partner in Lillington-based GFR Forestry Consultants - a private firm that has worked on similar projects in the region for the past 30 years.

Denny, the project's manager who has been with Campbell's Facilities Management department for 17 years, says the University is also looking into companies to come in and remove the "several hundred tons" of broken up asphalt and debris that has accumulated and been neglected over the years.

"Years ago, this asphalt was removed from the golf course and dumped on this site," Denny says. "We've made great strides finding and marking these areas, and it will be a considerable task removing it."

Funds collected from the harvested timber will be put back into paying for the debris removal, cleaning the property and responsibly managing the forest in the coming years, Denny says.

The new website includes answers to frequent questions raised since Campbell announced the project. For example, in answering the question, "Why not leave the property (which most recently was used for walking trails and as a pollinator park) alone?", the University states: "Forestry experts concluded that leaving the forest unmanaged would result in continued decline in the quality of the timber, slower growth and increasing tree mortality. Uncapped wells, piles of asphalt, dangling tree limbs and crumbling homesteads also create potentially dangerous conditions for visitors to the property."

Denny also points to the fire hazard risk posed by the current state of the forest.

"As trees decay and become drier, the fire risk increases," he says. "With the environmental conditions currently being experienced in the summer here, we are ripe for a real wildfire. With the abundance of dry material already on the ground, the actual trees themselves fuel that risk even more."

To the question of whether the property will look different: "Yes. The landscape will change significantly in the short term. However, new growth will begin immediately, young trees will be well established within five years, and the area will gradually mature into a healthy forest over the following decades."

Denny, who earned a degree in agronomy from NC State, says he shared initial concerns about the reforestation plan, but after speaking with consultants and forestry experts - and after spending the last few months walking the land and seeing the concerns up close - he agrees a sound plan will benefit the area in the long run. Solid information and science, he adds, have helped him see through "the myths, misperceptions and misinformation that often accompany projects like this."

"Campbell had to address this land," he says. "The river and the nearby communities will not be touched. The wells and other environmental concerns needed to be addressed. And I think reforestation will provide its own educational opportunities for our students."