UPDATE
On October 28, 2021, after months and months of tireless efforts by UMD students, faculty members, and local residents to save Guilford Woods, President Darryll Pines announced that the University of Maryland "will pause current planning on the Western Gateway development." This is incredible news because it means that the proposed deforestation of Guilford Woods is now on hold. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that Guilford Woods and Guilford Run stream are permanently protected. So while we thank President Pines for this great decision and celebrate the news with tremendous relief, our efforts continue! In particular, we are now mobilizing to oppose the current draft of the Adelphi Road-UMGC-UMD Purple Line Station Area Sector Plan, which proposes zoning changes that threaten Guilford Woods.
Take Action
The Adelphi Road Sector Plan will be discussed at a Prince George’s County Planning Board virtual meeting on Thursday, April 7, at 10am. This is an important meeting because the planning board will present staff recommendations based on the public testimony submitted in response to the preliminary draft of the Adelphi Road Sector Plan. In other words, this meeting will give us a sense of what, if any, changes are likely to be made in the ARSP and how they will affect the future of Guilford Woods. Public testimony will not be taken at this meeting. However, you can watch the meeting here: https://www.mncppc.org/883/Watch-Meetings
Other actions you can take:
Find out more about the Adelphi Rd Sector Plan and why we are opposing it.
Sign up with our campaign to get more information.
Write to the Prince Georges County Planning Board Commissioners and to local, county, and state officials to explain why you are opposed to the current draft of the Adelphi Road Sector Plan. You can find contact information here. And you can find sample letters here.
Send a thank you letter to elected officials who supported our efforts to stop the Western Gateway Project. Thank them for supporting our campaign to save Guilford Woods, express your hope that they will lend their voice to oppose the Adelphi Rd Sector Plan as currently drafted, and ask them if they have any advice for how we can address this new threat to Guilford Woods. Find contact information here. See sample letters here.
Paul Pinsky (District 22 State Senator)
Alonzo Washington (District 22 State Delegate)
Mary Lehman (District 21 State Delegate)
Joseline Peña-Melnyk (District 21 State Delegate)
Ben Barnes (District 21 State Delegate)
Jim Rosapepe (District 21 State Senator)
Email UMD President Darryll Pines commending him for deciding to put the Western Gateway Project on hold and urging him to permanently protect it.
Send emails or postcards and make calls to the new state treasurer Dereck Davis. Because Guilford Woods is public land, if UMD decides to move forward again with the Western Gateway project, the land sale would first have to be approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works, made up of the state comptroller, state treasurer, and governor. The current comptroller indicated that he is opposed to the sale of land, as did the former treasurer. However, we do not know where the new treasurer stands on the issue. Keeping pressure on the Board of Public Works will be key if President Pines decides to resume plans for deforestation. See a sample letter here.
Dereck Davis: dereck.davis@house.state.md.us; (410) 841-3519, (301) 858-3519, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3519 (toll free)