27 November 2007

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT UNCW CAMPUS WILDLIFE HABITAT THAT IS SLATED FOR DEVELOPMENT BEGINNING IN APRIL 2008

This information sheet is being provided for all those who are concerned about UNCW’s plans to develop most of the remaining natural habitats on campus and want to help. UNCW is about to begin the Phase III student housing project in forested habitat across the road from the Watson School of Education. This development will be followed by the construction of a parking deck nearby, plus future plans call for construction of a Millennial Campus and 30 acres of athletic fields. All of these developments will effectively wipe out most of the natural forested habitat in the back of campus over the coming year. Phase III housing, impacting at least 10 acres, is first on the schedule and construction will begin in April 2008. Below are some facts for why this and other campus developments should NOT occur on this habitat:

1. The area where Phase III housing is sited, across from the Watson School of Education, is a recognized conservation zone on our campus, so designated by a vote from our Board of Trustees in the early 1990s. It has the same protection as Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve and the current Board needs to specifically address this issue with a new vote to rescind its status. That has not been done and without this any development there would be against campus policy.

2. The loss of forested habitats on campus will impact numerous species of birds, reptiles, and plants, many of which that have been designated as ‘Species of Concern’ by the state Wildlife Resources Commission and, in some cases, also by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A full survey is needed and the current environmental assessment that is being conducted by Clark-Nexsen Co. (Norfolk, VA) under contract from the university has not done this survey. We are awaiting their report for the Phase III site and expect it to be insufficient in addressing the wildlife that will be impacted on this land.

3. The site for Phase III housing was ranked last out of seven potential sites by the Building & Grounds Committee, a committee comprised of faculty members appointed by the Faculty Senate. Business Affairs ignored this ranking when deciding where to place Phase III.

4. Wildlife species that have been observed on campus that will be impacted by all campus developments proposed by the Chancellor include Cooper’s Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper and two reptiles (pygmy rattlesnake and southern hognose snake) that are listed by the state as ‘Species of Concern’; the sapsucker and hognose snake are also listed as ‘Federal Species of Concern’ by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Other species using the campus forests include many Neotropical migratory birds, nesting birds (Brown-headed Nuthatch, Pileated Woodpecker, Summer Tanager), and mammals (Fox Squirrels). Historically, the Federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker has occurred on campus and could be reintroduced with proper management. The forest also has many native plants (Venus Flytrap, pitcher plants) that deserve protection before they too become threatened or endangered.

5. The site for Phase III housing also is a rare sandhill habitat within the Longleaf Pine ecosystem, or an area with ancient sand dunes from higher sea levels thousands of years ago. The slightly higher elevation of this habitat has made it a prime target for developers in the Wilmington region. Hence, the reason it is so rare in the area today.

6. Phase III housing also will remove approximately 10 acres of habitat currently being used by ecology and ornithology students at UNCW for labs and classes. This ‘natural laboratory’ is a valuable asset at UNCW that helps make this campus so unique. Other departments, including English, Environmental Studies, Communication Studies, and Geography and Geology use this habitat as an outdoor classroom. It is also used by students, staff, faculty and the public for recreation (hiking, biking, jogging).

7. The College of Arts & Sciences has been promoting recently that faculty teach more ‘applied learning’ where students gain hands-on experience in their studies. The forests on campus have been a tool for meeting this goal already, but our ability to teach applied learning will be severely constrained when this habitat is gone.

8. The City of Wilmington is once again proposing to extend Randall Parkway across College Rd. through campus and connect it with Hooker, all to make it easier for cars to move towards the beaches. This plan is a very bad idea as it would essentially put another College Rd. (in terms of traffic, noise, and number of cars) along another edge of campus. It would create lots of safety hazards for students walking or biking from Racine and other points to the north as they attempt to enter campus. A UNCW Nature Reserve in the back of campus would effectively block any plans by the city to complete the Randall extension.

Solutions. UNCW could easily meet all its growth needs AND keep all its existing natural habitats and forests intact by following these suggestions:

• Create a UNCW Nature Reserve with the entire remaining undeveloped habitat in the back of campus, with miscellaneous patches of habitat now found throughout campus, that would be used for teaching and research by numerous departments. Educational opportunities in wildlife studies, conservation biology, environmental studies, film studies, recreation, and even the arts are possible here. Such uses would draw attention to our campus in a very positive way for its environmental concerns and green development. The reserve also would be large enough (~200 acres) to introduce a population of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker as part of the state Wildlife Resource Commission’s Safe Harbors Program for this species. This conservation use of the habitat would benefit the new Bachelor’s Program in Conservation Biology being developed jointly between the Environmental Studies and Biology and Marine Biology Departments on campus. It would help promote establishing a Master’s program in conservation biology between these departments as well. Finally, a conservation easement of this land would provide a means to raise thousands of dollars to promote wildlife studies and conservation.

• Phase III housing could be sited adjacent to campus, but not within it. There are many suitable sites for this, including the old 84 Lumbar location, or the cinemas on College (across from campus) or on Oleander Drive. The cinema site on College is ideal as it is adjacent to off-campus parking and already has a frequent and very successful shuttle bus service. We already have plenty of housing available on campus (in addition to Phase I and II) and siting more close or adjacent to campus is quite reasonable. Phase III housing also should be designed as a ‘green’ dorm using all the advanced technology that is available for doing so.

• The Millennial Campus also is better suited off campus and can be placed at one of the alternative sites mentioned above. In addition, it will have more applications to researchers at the Center for Marine Science and should be located closer to that facility as well.

What you can do:

• Write letters, emails, and/or make phone calls to your NC representatives to let them know you are not happy with the planned development on state land. The more of these they receive, especially from citizens and environmental groups, the better they will hear your collective voice. If you are not registered to vote in New Hanover County, you can go to http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/GIS/Representation/Who_Represents_Me/Who_Represents_Me.html to find your representatives.

For New Hanover County:

House Members

1. Carolyn H. Justice (District 16)
2. Daniel F. McComas (District 19)
3. Thomas E. Wright (District 18)

Senate Members

• Julia Boseman (District 9)

• Write letters, emails, or make phone calls to key administrative personnel at UNCW to let them know you are not happy with the planned development. The more of these they receive, especially from citizens and environmental groups, the better. Those to contact include:

Rosemary DePaolo, Chancellor, UNCW: (910) 962-3030; depaolo@uncw.edu

Ron Core, Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs, UNCW: (910) 962-3067; corer@uncw.edu

• Write or email members of the UNCW Board of Trustees about your concerns. They are the ones who vote and decide what happens to this land. A list of all members of the Board and their addresses can be found at: http://www.uncw.edu/botx/member.htm

• Help us get local conservation groups involved in this issue such as Audubon North Carolina, Nature Conservancy, and Coastal Land Trust if you know people to contact within these agencies. Let them know of your concerns as the UNCW property is public state land and you do have a say in what happens to it!

• Construction on Phase III housing is scheduled to begin in April 2008. Further actions will be needed during a public comment period prior to that date. Stay tuned for developments on this issue.

• For further information, contact Dr. Steve Emslie, UNCW Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology: (910) 962-3357; emslies@uncw.edu; or Dr. Steven Brewer, 962-7797; brewers@uncw.edu

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE!!