Community Profile

Town of Black Mountain

Black Mountain , NC

C. Michael Sobol

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The Town of Black Mountain, located in Western North Carolina, is along a major fall migration route for the monarch butterfly on their journey south across the Blue Ridge Mountains towards Mexico. We have thousands of monarch butterflies pass through our town and public parks during last week of September and/or 1st week of October annually. In 2015, the Town created our 1st Monarch Waystation in a 10 acre field in our Veterans Park that is right along the migration route to make an inviting place for monarchs to stop to fuel up with nectar from native aster and goldenrod on their journey south. This field has over 500 common milkweed plants where monarchs also lay eggs April through June each spring, and is filled with purple clover, which is one of their favorite sources of nectar locally. Since 2015, the Town has expanded to four (4) Monarch Waystations across the Town located at Veterans Park (est. 2015), Lake Tomahawk (est. 2019), Black Mountain-Tyson Library (est. 2021), and Black Mountain Primary School (est. 2022). Additionally, the Town of Black Mountain provides and maintains pollinator-friendly habitat gardens throughout town including Town Square (our public green space the middle of downtown), Veterans Park, Black Mountain Primary School, Lake Tomahawk and Town Hall. The Town works closely in partnership with the Black Mountain Beautification Committee (BMBC) who assists in maintaining these public gardens. Milkweed plants can also be found within these gardens. The BMBC also maintains gardens in collaboration with several businesses that feature pollinator-friendly plants. Additionally, residents are encouraged to plant pollinator-friendly gardens at their homes, and we have a number of residents who have Certified Pollinator Habitats on their property, thus furthering essential habitats for the monarch butterfly, and other pollinators. Beginning in May 2025, the Black Mountain Town Council adopted a resolution supporting and encouraging residents to participate in the "No Mow May" initiative which encourages letting yards grow during the month of May to allow wildflowers, grasses and other flowering plants to grow freely and providing a valuable habitat and food for pollinators during the spring/early summer. Finally, the Mayor has issued a Monarch Pledge for Black Mountain in the form of a proclamation and encourages our residents to support the monarch by planting monarch-friendly habitats and milkweed plants. The Town is in full support of these efforts and the monarch protection.

Community Spotlight

Educational Signage at Town's Veterans Park

Educational Signage at Town's Veterans Park placed by an official Monarch Waystation.

Monarch Waystation at Lake Tomahawk with Sign

Butterfly/Pollinator Habitat at Town Park.

Butterfly/Pollinator Habitat at Town's Veterans Park at an official Monarch Butterfly Waystation.

Action Items Committed for 2025

Communications and Convening ▸

Issue a proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat. This proclamation must incorporate a focus on monarch conservation.
Launch or maintain a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighborhoods. (If you have community members who speak a language other than English, we encourage you to also communicate in that language; Champion Pledges must communicate in that language.)
Engage with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants.
Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise and maintain mowing programs and milkweed / native nectar plant planting programs.
Engage with gardening leaders and partners (e.g., Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Nature Centers, Native Plant Society Chapters , other long-standing and influential community leaders) to support monarch butterfly conservation.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants along roadsides, medians, or public rights-of-way.
Earn or maintain recognition for being a wildlife-friendly city by participating in other wildlife and habitat conservation efforts (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program).
Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar-producing plants in gardens in the community.
Launch, expand, or continue an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.

Systems Change ▸

Increase the percentage of native plants, shrubs and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encourage use of milkweed, where appropriate.
Reduce or eliminate the use of herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals that are harmful to monarchs and pollinators and urban wildlife.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor C. Michael Sobol	2026	3/12/2026		View Pledge
Mayor C. Michael Sobol	2025	4/23/2025	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mr. Mike Sobol	2024	4/13/2024	Signatories	View Pledge
Mr. Larry Harris	2022	4/21/2022	Signatories	View Pledge
Mayor Larry B Harris	2021	3/19/2021		View Pledge

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Achievement

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report