WNC Sierra Club requests the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees to continue protection of the 45 acres of urban woods on its campus. The Woods maintain flora and fauna. They help protect against the rising Heat Sink that our city is developing. Asheville loses tree canopy each year and with the devastation of Helene, we are estimated to have lost 40%.

We strongly recommend that UNCA continue protecting this valuable property.

Asheville GreenWorks is alarmed and saddened by recently disclosed plans for the

development of the UNC-Asheville urban forest and we are strongly opposed to the destruction

of this unique forest remnant. Asheville GreenWorks’ vision is to create a climate-resilient

community for all and protecting and restoring Asheville’s urban tree canopy is an essential part

of making that vision a reality.

The 45 acres of urban forest that are threatened by UNCA and the Board of Regents are an

essential part of our community: they are one of the last remnants of intact forest within

Asheville and an irreplaceable host for animal and plant life in our urban core. The woods also

have a much greater capacity than any individual tree or engineered replacement to mitigate

stormwater runoff, aid in carbon sequestration, and mitigate urban heat and air pollution. Losing

this space would be a tragedy in any year, but it is especially so in the wake of Helene and the

long-term damage the storm did to Western North Carolina.

The estimates of Helene-related damage and loss impacting Asheville’s urban tree canopy are

staggering. As an organization, we have spent significant time and effort since the storm

devoted to reforesting our city and county. It is incredibly disheartening to see UNCA and the

Board of Regents eagerly moving to eliminate such a large area of forest at a time when so

many in our community are spending their time, energy, and resources to reforest in the

aftermath of Helene.

The benefits provided to our city and its residents by this diverse patch of mature trees cannot

be matched by young, recently planted trees even though tree planting is a vital part of

counterbalancing the damage caused to our urban tree canopy by Helene. It would take

decades of careful protection and stewardship, coupled with favorable weather, for any trees

planted now to reach the same size as the ones currently standing in the UNCA woods and the

biodiversity that would be lost by cutting the woods will never be recovered.

Urban green spaces are increasingly rare - threatened by climate change, development, and

other mechanisms of destruction - and we must protect these spaces and our access to them as a piece of our community’s commitment to environmental justice. The voice of the community is clear: the UNCA woods must be preserved. Asheville GreenWorks is proud to support the many organizations and individuals who are committed to protecting our urban green spaces and the rights that we all have to share in these spaces.

The Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter urges UNCA to protect their urban woods, which provide important wildlife and bird habitat. This urban woodland has been shown to host over 100 bird species and includes the nesting sites for Great Horned Owls and Red-shouldered Hawks. Additionally, as an increasingly rare urban woodland, this forest plays a crucial role in providing relief from urban heat-sinks that exacerbate the effects of a warming climate on urban areas and their inhabitants--including both birds and humans . 

The University of North Carolina-Asheville has been a key partner with the Asheville community and Blue Ridge Audubon for many years now, and our community has benefitted from both your partnerships with local businesses and organizations and from UNCA graduates bringing new entrepreneurship and industry to the local area.  By and large, this added commerce has been able to find a synthesis of creating local job opportunities while affording protection of our natural resources. It would be a shame if UNCA now squandered this community's goodwill by yielding to pressure to push short-term development at the expense of its long-term reputation for community stewardship. We urge the Chancellor to reconsider development and commit to protecting these woods.

The students of UNC Asheville and community members call on the administration of UNC Asheville to halt its development of the “woods”. The “woods” in question is the 45 acre property owned by the university in Vivian Avenue and 220 W.T. Weaver Boulevard. In a turbulent political climate filled with federal cuts to D.E.I initiatives and all sorts of programs at universities, the plans to develop the “woods” only add salt to the wound. Students, staff, and community members are all overwhelmed and worn out by the insanity and chaos caused by the current presidential administration. For decades, students, professors and community members alike have enjoyed all the benefits that the “woods” provide. UNCA professors conduct research in the “woods” area with their students. Children in the community can recall countless hours spent playing in the “woods”. The students, adults and elderly folks find a safe space to walk, run and exercise along with their pets. The plans to develop the “woods” come at such an erroneous time just after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. It is estimated that almost 40% of the woods in Asheville were wiped out by the hurricane and the community is still recovering post-Helene. The “woods” are the last urban woods in Asheville that provide many ecological services to the organisms and humans such as a buffer for tropical storms and a filtration system. Urban forests, like the “woods” cool down the city amidst rising temperatures caused by global warming. Without the “woods” it's very likely the next hurricane will be much more devastating than Helene. Preserving the “woods” would demonstrate UNCA’s commitment to sustainability which can be found on the website of the universities.

Full Statement: Spring 2025 UNCA Student Organization Open Letter to the UNCA Administration 

Our hope remains that the space is left substantially undisturbed and that careful steps to protect the habitats of our wild residents are considered and facilitated as much as possible. Or, as one of our UNC-system alumni phrased it, “There may be a solution that is still lucrative and beneficial to the university that does not further alienate UNCA from Asheville at large and irreparably tarnish its reputation and perception, but we will never know if we cannot have an honest dialogue.” So, while we hear that the University seeks to empower and strengthen student success in any development plans/ideas, this “student success” and “benefit” is completely overshadowed if student voices, including our alumni, are not taken seriously into account. Ultimately, this resolution comes from a genuine place of wanting to foster improved communication, transparency, and understanding between our diverse community and University leaders so we can create a mutually beneficial and environmentally conscious path forward. Thus, we sincerely hope our continued pleas as representative voices of the student body are heeded and respected as conversations progress in the coming weeks lest members of our community and the wildlife of this forest be disregarded and/or callously harmed.
Full UNCA Student Government Association Resolution 

Asheville's Chapter of the Feminist Bird Club urges UNCA to protect their urban woods, which provide important wildlife and bird habitat. Over the last 20 years, a friend of The Woods, an avid birder, has recorded over 100 resident, migratory, and seasonal birds in these woods. All are now threatened by the university's plans to clear the woods for the development. We urge the Chancellor to reconsider development and commit to protecting these woods.

As an organization whose interest is in the natural world and environmental issues, with a foundation based in science, Blue Ridge Naturalist Network decries the destruction of an urban forest for a soccer stadium. And while Asheville needs more housing, we do not need “market-rate” housing but rather affordable housing for our neighbors who are being priced out of Asheville.

In addition, The climate impacts of the property's development, especially in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, will deal serious blow to Asheville’s green spaces and our native trees and plants. We ask UNCA to save the woods.

Mountain Voices Alliance strongly urges UNCA decision makers to give serious reconsideration to the proposed development of the urban forested area in our community. While the University might see short-term financial gains, the countless species of existing flora and fauna impacted by the destruction will be forever. In addition, the neighborhoods, residents, students, faculty and staff will lose a much beloved natural treasure. Sadly, urban forests have become an endangered species in their own right - and in the wake of the recent destruction/damage to tens of thousands of trees in Asheville/Buncombe county due to Hurricane Helene, our loss has already been monumental. And last, but definitely not least, can we please consider the climate crisis that is only accelerating with every forest - large or small - that is destroyed? There are countless beneficial reasons for this forest to remain intact. Can we say the same for the proposed demolition and development? There must be a solution that could be a win-win. Taking the time to consider thoughtful alternatives could yield meaningful results.

As a proud neighborhood bar rooted in the heart of 5 Points, we at Little Jumbo strongly urge UNCA to protect the irreplaceable urban woods that help define the unique character and livability of our community. These woods are more than just trees—they are a vital wildlife and bird habitat, a cherished green space, and a key part of the neighborhood’s identity and charm. The university’s proposed development threatens not only this fragile ecosystem, but also the sense of place that makes this area special.

Beyond the potential loss of this invaluable natural asset, we also anticipate increased traffic congestion and parking challenges associated with the development. As a local business deeply invested in the well-being of our neighborhood, we respectfully call on the Chancellor, Board of Trustees, and Board of Regents as well as the North Carolina General Assembly to commit to preserving one of Asheville’s last remaining urban forests for the benefit of our environment, the spirit of our neighborhood, and the future of our city.

Asheville Jazz Collective was happy to play a musical benefit to help save the UNCA woods. It was our way to show our support for this vital community resource. We respect all of the people involved and were honored to lend our talents to help raise funds for this cause. Chancellor Van Noort, please take the finality of this decision into account: once the forest is gone; it’s gone. 

Representing one of Asheville’s oldest communities, the Five Points Neighborhood Association is deeply invested in preserving the unique character and environmental integrity of our area. The UNCA woods, located within our neighborhood, is one of the last urban forests in Asheville. It represents the southern terminus of a crucial wildlife corridor from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a vital green space, a living classroom, and a cherished public good. 

These 45 acres of woods absorb millions of gallons of stormwater per year and are a heat sink reducing the urban heat island effect for our city. They are home to bears and trillium, box turtles and great horned owls. At least one hundred species of birds have been observed in the woods. The woods are a refuge and a sanctuary. The devastation of Tropical Storm Helene graphically illustrated to all of us here the key necessity of protecting our tree canopy to buffer against further climate catastrophe.

We recognize the forest's role in supporting biodiversity, offering educational opportunities, and providing a natural respite for citizens and students alike. The proposed development threatens to disrupt all of these benefits, replacing a mature ecosystem with development that could instead be situated on already-cleared land owned by UNCA.

We urge UNCA to utilize alternative development sites that do not compromise the ecological and social value of the woods. Preserving this precious and irreplaceable community treasure aligns with UNCA’s own stated commitments to ecological stewardship, Asheville’s tree canopy goal, and the interests of a broad coalition of stakeholders– students, faculty, and community members.

The Tree Protection Task Force (TPTF) for Asheville and Buncombe County is opposed to the development of the 45-acre property at the corner of W.T. Weaver Boulevard and Broadway on the UNC Asheville campus.  This property is one of the largest and last remaining intact urban forests within city limits and as such, has significant value to locals, UNC Asheville students and professors, and is a visible component of the city’s proclamation as a Tree City USA.  In addition, the parcel provides ecosystem services at a cost that would be prohibitive to duplicate by human-made technologies.
Opinion in Asheville Citizen Times: UNC Asheville urban forest must be preserved as a living laboratory 

Humans need green spaces, in particular forests.  It would be a tragic mistake for UNCA to clear cut their mature, precious urban forest. It is a place of refuge for students, faculty, community and of course all the critters that have called it home for decades. Aside from the blow to local environmental resilience that clear cutting this forest would cause, forests provide real, proven health benefits to humans. Please, UNCA, come to your senses. Literally. Come sit in the forest. Smell, Listen, Touch. Honor what makes UNCA special. Let's find another, healthier, more sane solution. 

Firestorm Books joins community members in calling on UNCA to stop all development within its 45-acre woodlands. In this time of climate disaster, we recognize the interconnectedness of Asheville's urban forests with public lands under threat from the Trump administration, and the ongoing loss of wild urban spaces throughout our region, including Atlanta's Weelaunee Forest and Sarasota's Uplands Preserve. The proposed stadium and "market-rate" housing do not embody UNCA's core values of  innovation and sustainability. Meanwhile, moving forward over the objections of students, faculty, and neighbors would do irreparable harm to the resilience and health of our city, as well as UNCA's institutional reputation.

Personally, I am sad to see the woods threatened. I have many wonderful memories of running and relaxing in that beautiful tract of accessible and forested public land. 

I understand many of the pressures facing UNCA. It is my hope that the County and City may be able to partner with UNCA, to find creative and collaborative solutions. It would be great if we could work together towards greater preservation, benefitting the broader community, while also helping the university meet their goals. 

That kind of teamwork requires not only a willingness, but a commitment to collaboration, and I know many of my colleagues share that sentiment. 

Sacred Poetry Circle supports preserving the woods at UNC Asheville.  This 45 acre urban forest is a vital part of our community providing natural habitat needed by people and wildlife alike.  We were honored to invite poets and community members alike into the woods for our Poetry for the Woods event to express why preserving these spaces is so important.  Poets read poetry inspired by our universal connection to nature.  Our community needs ongoing access to urban forests to keep the spirit of creativity and inspiration alive within us.  We need the woods to feel soft soil underfoot and gentle breeze upon the skin, to hear the harmony of birdsongs, to see the wonder of sunshine casting beams of light through a canopy of swaying leaves. Being held within nature is core to our experience as humans.  Now we need to hold nature, tend to her wellbeing, by preserving these precious woods.

To Those Who Hold the Power,

We at Neng Jr's feel compelled to add to the chorus of Ashevillians demanding we collectively save to the UNCA woods.

A handful of our team are current and former residents of the 5 Points neighborhood, and the woods hold a special place in our hearts and minds. We have lived in harmony with the woods for decades, and find inspiration and solace there on a near daily basis. The pileated woodpeckers, wild strawberries, and trilliums have been annual touchstones for our life here in Asheville. We cannot imagine life without these woods.

UNCA’s proposed development of this area falls in line with the gross destruction of wild urban landscape we see running rampant in the US today, from the Weelaunee Forest in North Georgia to the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, and everywhere in between.

Combined with the high percentage of tree cover damage after Hurricane Helene, the intentional destruction of these woods will negatively affect air quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration efforts, and general mental health and wellness for the Asheville community. Short term financial gain will never be more important than the preservation of the wood's cherished ecosystem.

Please reconsider your plans.

Align Asheville Statement on UNCA Woods Preservation

As healthcare practitioners deeply rooted in the Asheville community, we at Align Asheville join our neighbors in urging UNCA to make the only right choice to protect the irreplaceable 45-acre urban forest that serves as one of our city's last remaining woodland sanctuaries.

Our work centers on healing—restoring balance to the bodies entrusted to our care. These woods also provide essential healing functions, providing a therapeutic resource freely to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay for healthcare or travel to distant natural areas. With our forested lands already so severely affected by the hurricane, protecting this remaining woodland is not just environmental stewardship—though this is enough—it's preventive medicine for our entire community. 

Animal welfare and its importance to the whole is another deep value we hold as an organization, and we want institutions in our town who value this as well. The biodiversity, the mature canopy, the intricate web of life that has developed over decades there—all of this would be lost forever. No amount of future tree planting could replace what would be eliminated, and this is heartbreaking. 

As a practice committed to the health of our community, including the animals who live here, we recognize that protecting these woods is protecting the essence of what it means to live in Asheville. We urge UNCA's leadership to find another way to continue development, in a place and way that doesn’t destroy the very land that makes their school and our mountains so special.

At Echoes of the Forest, we believe that the heart of Asheville lies in its vibrant ecosystems, majestic forests, and the communities that unite to protect them. Today, we proudly stand with Save the Woods, a grassroots organization unwavering in its dedication to preserving the natural treasures that make Asheville so extraordinary.

The preservation of urban forests is not merely an environmental effort—it is a commitment to the well-being of our community and future generations. Save the Woods shares our deep-seated values of environmental stewardship and community engagement, proving that when individuals come together, they can create powerful solutions to the challenges facing our natural world.

We commend Save the Woods for their grassroots efforts to protect Asheville’s urban forests from the many threats they face, including development and environmental degradation. Their work inspires us, and we are reminded that the spirit of collaboration is key to all conservation triumphs. Together, we are stronger, more resilient, and more capable of shaping a sustainable future for both our people and our planet.

Echoes of the Forest is honored to support Save the Woods in their mission.

With gratitude and solidarity,
Liisa Andreassen, founder
Echoes of the Forest