I recently attended two meetings advertised as listening sessions related to UNC Asheville’s Millennial Campus development, including the 45-acre urban forest known as The Woods. These meetings were informative and much appreciated, providing diverse stakeholders with the opportunity to voice their truths and concerns in a public forum.
Questions remain for our state legislature, the UNC System office, political appointees and administrative agents who control the funding over development decisions for property held under its stewardship. What are their responsibilities and demonstrable regard for all public citizens and stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, living earth/species and future generations)? Hosting these sessions does not subtract or deflect from their moral and ethical responsibility for decisions made that impact human health, community well-being and ecological sustainability. Tactics thus far already bring potentially negative impacts on the UNC brand, reputation and relationships with all stakeholders.
The public asks: Who are we, as a public liberal arts and sciences university, and what is our future long-term impact on the community, environment and future generations? All living beings have intrinsic value and warrant our utmost dignity, respect and care. All are interdependent, highly connected parts of nature. Each of us is born from a woman, and all return back into Mother Earth when we take our last breath, taking nothing of monetary or material value with us. As are all beings, the woods are intrinsically valuable in their “undeveloped,” natural state, and they deserve our absolute best, nonviolent stewardship, respect, protection and care…