Community Seeks to Conserve 21 Acre Forest

Atlanta, Georgia February 9, 2015-- Described as “virgin forest” in the memoirs of Grace Gresham Flowers, who was born on Briarlake Road in the 1930’s, a 21-acre wooded property at the intersection of Briarlake Road and Amberwood Drive is currently under consideration by DeKalb County for a residential development of 43 new homes.

Distressed by the prospect of the destruction of this precious resource, the last forest of this kind in this area of DeKalb County, citizens from 13 surrounding neighborhoods have joined together to form the Briarlake Community Forest Alliance, a Georgia non-profit corporation that seeks to preserve this old-growth forest for future generations.

The 10 board members of the BCFA have spent countless hours performing research, conducting community outreach, and educating the public during the last 7 months and have uncovered many of the significant issues surrounding the proposed residential development of the Briarlake forest. Some of the key issues that concern residents about this proposed development are: (1) concern that flood mitigation and storm water management practices for this proposed development are in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, (2) the potential destruction of 70 specimen trees, (3) the proposed size, design, placement, and potential dangers of retention ponds proposed for this development, and (4) concerns about how proposed new homes [to be built] on Briarlake Road will impact pedestrian and commuter safety as well as traffic flow during peak commute hours.

The Briarlake Community Forest Alliance has engaged the leadership of The Conservation Fund, a national conservation organization which has saved over 7 million acres of land and water in all 50 states. The Conservation Fund is currently working with DeKalb County government officials, including District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader and DeKalb County Parks and Greenspace to seek a way to save this precious community and environmental resource.

The DeKalb County Planning Commission will vote to either approve or deny the plat sketch for this proposed development on Wednesday, February 11th in the Maloof Auditorium at 6:30pm. The BCFA encourages community members to attend this meeting and to email or write Nancy Jester, District 1 Commissioner and Jeff Rader, DeKalb County’s District 2 Commissioner to express their support for preserving this 21 acre urban forest.

About the Briarlake Community Forest Alliance, Inc.:
The BCFA represents residents from the 13 neighborhoods surrounding the 21 acre forest at the intersection of Briarlake Road and Amberwood Road that is currently under consideration by DeKalb county for development. The BCFA seeks to preserve this forest for future generations.