Guilford Woods is a roughly 15-acre remnant forest at the southern edge of the University of Maryland's College Park campus.  A healthy, biodiverse forest habitat dominated by native trees and home to many wildlife species, Guilford Woods is part of the Anacostia watershed and is included in Prince George’s County’s designated green infrastructure network, defined as the county’s most significant natural resource lands. Until recently, this environmentally sensitive public land was under imminent threat of deforestation by the Western Gateway Project, a proposed development plan between the University of Maryland and the Gilbane Development Company. 

On October 28, 2021, President Darryll Pines announced a pause in the Western Gateway planning process. This came in response to months of growing community backlash, including more than 2,500 signatures on a community petition, more than 470 U-Md faculty and staff signatures on a separate petition, and an October 15 rally organized by U-Md students, which brought hundreds of students, faculty members, local residents, and environmental advocates out to protest the Western Gateway Project and proposed deforestation of Guilford Woods. Thanks to President Pines' decision, Guilford Woods has gained a temporary reprieve.

A New Threat to Guilford Woods

The pause on the Western Gateway Project is great news, but Guilford Woods is not safe yet. The latest threat comes from zoning changes in the Adelphi Road-UMGC-UMD Purple Line Station Area Sector Plan proposed by the Prince George's Planning Board and the Prince George's County Council. These zoning changes greenlight the deforestation of Guilford Woods and thus are a direct threat to our efforts to save the stream and woods. Find out more about the Adelphi Road Sector Plan here and here. Find out how to take action here. Sign up to join our campaign against the Sector Plan here.

About Us

We are a coalition of U-MD faculty members, students, and concerned local residents fighting to save Guilford Woods from destruction and to promote sustainable development and environmental stewardship. We are grateful to have several elected officials from Prince George’s County’s Districts 21 and 22 supporting our campaign, including Senators Paul Pinsky and Jim Rosapepe and Delegates Mary Lehman, Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Ben Barnes, and Alonzo T. Washington.