Tree/Canopy Loss

Per AVL Watchdog, Buncombe County experienced the loss of or damage to 40% of its trees due to Hurricane Helene. This estimate doesn't even cover the loss of trees within urban settings such the city of Asheville, due to difficulty assessing urban areas. It's estimated that nearly 822,000 acres of forest were damaged or destroyed across Western North Carolina due to storm Helene.

The City of Asheville had already sustained an estimated 6.4% loss of its canopy between 2008 and 2018 — a loss of 891 acres of trees according to the Urban Tree Canopy Study.

Losing a large tract like UNCA's urban forest in the Five Points Neighborhood will increase the devastation that we have already suffered and aggravate the rising temperatures in the area due to heat island effects.

Photo taken post Hurricane Helene in the Five Points Neighborhood by EP

Forest Provides Rare Shade in the City

Located within walking distance of downtown, the UNCA woods represent one of the only places that people can experience walking in a forest in the city. The canopy provided by numerous mature oak trees means a demonstrable cooling of temperature on a warm summer day.

A Respite from Development

North Asheville continues to develop, with condominiums and apartment buildings along Broadway, and numerous infill development within the Five Points and Montford neighborhoods. The woods are a natural respite that and are connected with the Reed Creek Greenway and the Asheville Botanical Garden.

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