Stadium Woods... hopeful signs but not out of the woods just yet

The committee appointed by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors to study the Stadium Woods issue stood up to the athletic department and recommends that a new indoor football practice facility be built on a Washington Street lot where tennis courts and an indoor roller hockey rink are currently located. More details about the report and related issues at the Virginian Pilot.

Certainly this is good news for all who want to save Stadium Woods, but as Yogi Berra once said, "it ain't over till it's over." Football reigns supreme at Tech and I imagine there will be much more to this story before it is over. Keep the letters/emails going to the VT president and Board of Visitors and tell them to Save Stadium Woods.

Save Stadium Woods

An 11 acre tract of old-growth trees known as Stadium Woods is a well-known natural landmark at Virginia Tech. Some of the white oaks are over 350 years old and were saplings before the U.S. was the U.S.! As one of the few old-growth stands remaining on the east coast, this small forest is a ecosystem that provides migration sanctuary for migrating birds and valuable aesthetic and community benefits for students, Blacksburg, and Hokie Nation.

Amazingly, some are proposing to take chain saws and earth moving equipment to nearly one-third of the priceless tract in order to build an indoor practice facility for the football team. The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors will take up the issue today and tomorrow during its quarterly meeting.

Opposition has galvanized across the campus, state, and indeed across all of Hokie Nation. The controversy has erupted in the national media and CNN frames it as "football vs forest." Pitting trees against Hokie football isn't exactly accurate as there are other sites nearby where the facility could be built without destroying a significant part of a unique old-growth forest.

A group of Tech undergrads produced this short documentary explaining the issue.

Crucial decisions will be made over the next two days, so today is the time to make your voice heard loud and clear - Save Stadium Woods!

• Visit Save Stadium Woods for more information and links to ways you can take action.
• Send letters to the governor, president of Virginia Tech, and Board of Visitors at the Virginia Chapter Sierra Club.
• Sign an online petition.

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