Umstead Coalition

Vote The Umstead Coalition for "Raleigh's Best Contest." Find us under "Services-Nonprofit Organization." You can vote once per day through July 26!

2024 Raleigh's Best Vote once per day from July 8th through July 26th!

Thanks to all who came to the RDU Quarry Sunset Clause trial this past week. The two parties involved are the Umstead Coalition and NC DEQ. NC DEQ is defending Wake Stone's Triangle Quarry mining permit. While Wake Stone is not directly involved in this court case, there were representatives from Wake Stone present everyday.

The hearing was held all day on Tuesday-Thursday (June 19-21) of this past week. Former Attorney General Rufus Edmisten, who was actually involved with original Wake Stone Triangle Quarry permit testified, as did Erv Portman, Dr. Jean Spooner and Natalie Lew.

The trial has been continued to Monday, June 24 and Wednesday, June 26 (no court on Tuesday, June 25). Court goes from 9am-5pm and there is a 2-hour lunch break between noon and 2pm. Please join us for whatever time you have - an hour is totally fine!

Learn more: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5777512

📸 L-R: Erv Portman, Former Wake County Commissioner; Dr. Jean Spooner, Chair of the Umstead Coalition; Rufus Edmisten, Former NC Attorney General

YES! Really happening! After six years of DEQ-Mining staff telling us (incorrectly) we could not appeal the loss of the 50 year sunset clause and park protection buffers done in secret in March 2018, huge citizen response (big thanks to all of you!), court filings, overcoming several "Motions to Dismiss" our case, being sent back and forth to different courts, filings and hearings to try to get to court — we are finally getting a contested trial on the merits of our case!

In this trial, Wake Stone is not a party to the case - their lawyers are not allowed to argue the case. It will be the Attorney General (AG) lawyers defending DEQ vs the Umstead Coalition lawyers defending our Park.

The public is welcome and we would LOVE, LOVE supporters in the courtroom. Come for a couple hours, come for the entire trial - whatever works best for you. Learn more at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5766774

Time: 9AM-5PM (typically there is a two hour break for lunch)

NC Office of Administrative Hearings
Courtroom A
1711 New Hope Church Road
Raleigh, NC 27609

Parking is free and adjacent to the building.

📸 Wake Stone's Triangle Quarry. is the forest to the north and east.

Deadline! Tonight at 11:59pm, Umstead Photo & Illustration Contest! Winning entries will be featured in an Exhibit at the Visitor Center and the 2025 Calendar for Umstead State Park. Submit your entries here: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5611835

*Images in this post are two of last years winner's by Greg Hamlyn and Amber Anderson.

Heading to this weekend? Bring your phone or camera to capture any of these:
- People doing (or evidence of) Park activities
- Remnants and structures of Park history
- Plants
- Animals

The deadline for submissions is June 16, 2024. Learn more at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/photo-illustration-contests

Photo: Ryan Imperio

Enjoy the May & June featured photographs from the Umstead Calendar!
1. Looks Like Rain by Jacki Park.
2. Small Wonder by Doug Brown.
3. A Silene virginica Seasonal Summer Celebration by Holly Amato.
4. Break Time by Kaitlyn Molnar.
5. Ornate Stalked Bolete by Geoff Balme.

View all the winners from our 2023 Photo & Illustrations here: https://umsteadcoalition.org/2023-Winners

Join the 2024 photo contest! JUNE 16 DEADLINE coming up!!!
Submit your entry and learn more about the contest at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/photo-illustration-contests

There's still time to enter your photo or illustration into our annual contest! Here are the prizes for 1st, 2nd and Honorable Mention winners:

- Feature in a special exhibit at the Umstead State Park Visitor Center
- Complimentary Umstead State Park calendar
- One-year household membership for The Umstead Coalition
- Winning photo posted on the Umstead Coalition website

*Photos must be taken in to be eligible.

Submit your entry and learn more about the contest at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/photo-illustration-contests

Illustration by Sheila Tayrose
Photo by Julie Yacynych

Have you hiked the Yellow Dot Trail in ? If you haven't, you've been missing out! Join us on Saturday, May 18 from 10am-1pm for an educational hike to see a gorgeous section of the Park. We'll hike by the Odd Fellows Tract, the 105-acre site of the proposed RDU Quarry, to rock outcrops along Crabtree Creek near the Company Mill Trail. This is an out and back, 2-mile hike. It is steep, so we recommend hiking boots and poles. This is a slow-paced hike where you'll learn about the history of the Odd Fellows Tract and hear the latest about our fight to preserve this land and save it from being destroyed. The hike will be led by Umstead Coalition Chair, Dr. Jean Spooner. We hope to see you there! Register at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5721849

Thanks to everyone who came out to our plant sale today! And a huge thank you to all of our volunteers who help make these events happen — we couldn't do them without you! We have some plants remaining and will be selling them at a pop-up sale tomorrow May 5th, along with Umstead merch including the new 2024 great horned owl T-shirt design, hats, Piedmont garden guides and more!

Come pick up some locally-grown native plants, with several grown by Umstead's very own Ranger Nick! 100% of all proceeds from the event go to support . View the plant list and pricing here: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5721837

Location: Reedy Creek entrance to Umstead State Park: 2100 N Harrison Ave, Cary, NC 27513

MAY THE PLANTS BE WITH YOU! What better way to celebrate May 4th, Star Wars Day, than buy native plants to support both your State Park and biodiversity 💚 https://www.facebook.com/share/cN5KKw7D1p3Wv3qV/?mibextid=9l3rBW

We hope you can join us this Saturday, May 4th from noon-3pm for our bi-annual native plant sale supporting ! We'll have 450+ popular like pawpaw, beautyberry, bee balm and milkw**d for monarchs — and less common ones like arrowwood, blue vervain and marsh rattlesnake master. Check out the full plant list and pricing at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5612190

Bonus! Umstead Coalition members get early access from 11am-noon. If you're not a member, sign up at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/Join-Us

We'll also be selling raffle tickets for a 4-burner gas grill valued at $500. We hope you can join us!

📸 We'll have all the plants featured in these photos!
1. Echinacea purpurea "Purple coneflower"
2. Monarda fitulosa "Bee balm / wild bergamot"
3. Physostegia virginiana "Obedient plant"
4. Eutrochium fistulosum "Trumpetw**d/Joe-pye w**d"
5. Asclepias tuberosa "Butterfly w**d"
6. Viburnum dentatum "Arrowwood"

What plants will you pick up at the Umstead Native Plant Sale? I'm looking forward to more of my favorite new wildflower, the unique pollinator magnet Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium.

This plant is ranked in the top third of plants with the greatest total number of pollinator visits in an insect study! Insects visit it for both pollen and nectar. It is a very valuable plant for bees (short and long tonged varieties), wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, beetles and other plant insects. So, if you have not yet begun to grow this plant in your pollinator garden, give it a try!

See you on Saturday May 4th, Noon - 3pm at the Harrison Ave. entrance parking lot in Umstead State Park.

Additional details including plant list and prices: https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5612190

THANK YOU to our tireless leader Jean Spooner, all the volunteers, vendors , exhibitors, musicians, and attendees for a wonderful event on Saturday!! 😎

Enjoy a recording of The Ghost of Richland Creek, performed by Nixon, Williams and Gage, a song written in 1995 for our (successful!) fight against a highway that would have gone through Umstead and the surrounding area, and also special thanks to Bett Padgett and Bruce Emery for their musical contributions 🎶

Check the website for our upcoming hikes and Native Plant Sale May 4th!!

The Ghost of Richland Creek performed by Nixon, Williams and Gage The Ghost of Richland Creek by Nixon, Williams and Gage at the Umstead Walk/Bike/Run Festival on April 20, 2024.

Have y’all seen the list of exhibitors (plus live owls!) and amazing silent auction items 🤩 https://umsteadcoalition.org/silent_auction

Plus raffling off a brand new donated grill!!

Plus smoothies, popcorn and pizza for sale (in addition to the included food for registered participants)! Did we mention all the live music?

It’s going to be a GREAT day! Don’t miss out tomorrow 🌞

The Umstead Coalition - Silent Auction Gift Certificate, one month unlimited membership, Barre-Up Raleigh, Barre-Up Studio has won multiple Indy and Midtown Magazine Diamond awards.

Come meet a live great-horned owl, Rasputin the education owl, with the American Wildlife Refuge this Saturday!! Event details: https://umsteadcoalition.org/walkrunbike

In-person registration and packet pick up events THIS weekend!

Friday, April 12 (3-5pm). Great Outdoor Provision (Village District, Raleigh)
Saturday, April 13 (1-4pm). Inside-Out Sports (Cary store)

Event details and online registration:
https://umsteadcoalition.org/walkrunbike

Who-who-whooooo will be getting this year's Umstead t-shirt (pictured)?! The shirt is included in your registration for the Walk/Bike/Run! We'll have live owls, live music, a silent auction, door prizes, craft vendors, Umstead swag sales, food sales (smoothies, pizza and popcorn!), children's activities, and more!
Register today, it is a guaranteed HOOT! https://umsteadcoalition.org/event-5612430

Here's a link to one of the articles in the N&O regarding Umstead State Park and RDU Quarry. Most telling is that Wake Stone wants to clear cut and remove dozens of feet of topsoil from the Odd Fellows tract converting it from naturally forested land to this excerpt description from the article:

In a green, tree-covered part of the country, a stone quarry looks out of place, like a harsh, dry landscape found out west. Trees sprout along the narrow ledges.
“You can tell by the color, they’re not the healthiest,” Bratton says. “That’s a pretty tough spot to grow. Nothing but rock.”

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article286222795.html

RDU QUARRY PROPERTY ENCROACHES INTO UMSTEAD STATE PARK.

Check out information revealed in our April 4th news conference. At issue is approximately 14 acres of Park land incorrectly surveyed by RDU in 1976, resulting in the proposed Odd Fellows quarry tract encroaching upon Federally purchased land later donated to State Parks on condition it be used only for park land and recreation.
https://umsteadcoalition.org/news/13338641

A recent review of the property boundary between William B. Umstead State Park and the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority (RDUAA) managed property to the south, known as the Odd Fellows tract, shows that the boundary of the Odd Fellows tract has been shifted northerly, encroaching over 120 feet into William B. Umstead State Park.

The Umstead Coalition held a Press Conference on April 4 and this exciting news was covered by all the major news outlets.

You can read our Press Statement and summaries of our research findings at: https://umsteadcoalition.org/news

Thanks to all who came to support William B. Umstead State Park yesterday.

Action requested: Request NC State Parks request the NC State Property Office do a survey. Email: Strong, Brian Director of NC State Parks ,Reid Wilson, Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources Wilson,

The Umstead Coalition - News Stay up-to-date with the latest news affecting Umstead State Park.

Enjoy both the March and April featured photographs from the Umstead Calendar!

1. Mallard in Flight photographed by Ryan Imperio.
2. Home Sweet Home illustrated by Izabella Marek.
3. Collage of Fauna in Umstead Park illustrated by Susie Meadows.
4. Company Mill Site photographed by Pete Vandeberg.
5. Umstead Park Travel Poster illustrated by Amber Anderson.
6. Camp Kitchen photographed by Julie Yacynych.

View all the winners from our 2023 Photo & Illustrations here: https://umsteadcoalition.org/2023-Winners

RDU's proposed 2024-2025 Budget: Please consider submitting a public comment. It can be as simple as "Please respect the public and RDU's biggest neighbor, Umstead State Park. Do not develop or deforest any more land East of National Guard Dr."

Send public comments to [email protected].

Public hearing to be held on Thursday, 7/March 24 at 1pm

Please take a few moments to review the budget and submit comments. This is a chance to let RDU and RDUAA know your thoughts – good, bad, and ugly.
2024-2025 draft budget:https://www.rdu.com/.../2024/02/2024-2025-Budget-revised.pdf
All RDU Financial Documents: https://www.rdu.com/financials/

Public hearing to be held on Thursday, 7/March 24 at 1pm. This is a rare occasion when the public is actually allowed to speak. Public Hearing will take place in-person at the RDU Airport Authority Building (parking same as “Cell phone lot” and across from Rental Car returns).
https://www.rdu.com/airport-authority/meetings/
Link to draft budget:https://www.rdu.com/.../2024/02/2024-2025-Budget-revised.pdf
A few items of concern:
New Project: (page 62) Rental Car Storage Lot $10,250,000 for initial planning and design. This will include a massive new parking lot proposed to destroy more forest long the William B. Umstead State Park border and Haley’s Branch, offload trucking for car haulers, car wash, car maintenance area, likely car fueling, etc. PLEASE ask for public input opportunities BEFORE decisions are made with the location of this facility.

Amended Project: (page 61) Project 677003, Terminal 1 Expansion Program – Planning Strategy and PDD ($8,800,000). What is this? It is hard to tell from the description of “concept design.” We are opposed to additional gates in T1 putting more aircraft on the runway near William B. Umstead State Park. The increase noise would be a “taking” of Park lands protected by 4(f).

Missing: No funds for environmental sustainability initiatives

Mike Morgan, Democratic candidate for Governor, has posted a Press Release disapproving of the RDU Quarry adjacent to Umstead State Park. Press Release can be read at:

Mike Morgan for NC Governor Stay informed and engaged by signing up to receive updates, event notifications, and messages from the Mike Morgan for Governor campaign.

Enjoy February's featured photographs from the Umstead Calendar!

1. Great Blue! by Greg Hamlyn. Greg spotted this stunning heron in Crabtree Creek off the Company Mill Trail on 2/21/23.
2. New Years Day Hike by Anna Winters. Anna captured this beautiful image while hiking Sal's Branch Trail on 1/1/23.

View all the winners from our 2023 Photo & Illustrations here: https://umsteadcoalition.org/2023-Winners

I would like to extend BIG thanks to all who have donated via memberships, donations, as well through our events and sales this year! The Umstead Coalition serves as the only nonprofit that supports . We're all volunteers, so 100% of your donations go to support our Park.

I am excited to announce that our recent $20,000 donor match has been met!

Furthermore, I am super excited to announce we have two new donor matches: Tito Craige will match up to $10,000 and Hasna, Inc will match up to $10,000 —for a total of $20,000 in a NEW donor matches! What a great way to end 2023 and start of 2024!

https://umsteadcoalition.org/Donate/

We have done so much this year thanks to your support and I'm excited about what we have planned for 2024. William B. Umstead State Park turns 90 in 2024!

Thanks again for supporting our Park!

Dr. Jean Spooner, Chair
The Umstead Coalition

Illustrator: Izabella Marek

Dave Sullivan, owner of CupAJoe suddenly passed on December 21. He was a big supporter of William B. Umstead State Park and the Umstead Coalition's efforts to serve and protect the Park. As a surprise gift, he has named the Umstead Coalition as the charity to donate in his honor. Because we currently have a generous donor match, all donations will be doubled! https://umsteadcoalition.org/Donate

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/newsobserver/name/dave-sullivan-obituary?id=53921577

Happy Winter Solstice and here's to lengthening daylight to allow for more time hiking in Umstead! Please enjoy December's featured photographs from the Umstead calendar:
1. Group Hike Down Company Mill Trail by Pete Vandeberg
2. The Prettiest of Them All by Izabella Marek
3. Autumn Forest by Mia Bocarro

View all the winners from our 2023 Photo & Illustrations here: https://umsteadcoalition.org/2023-Winners

RDU just created a new web site where the public can post feedback on their construction projects. If you see something amiss from PE3 or other RDU construction seen or heard from within William B. Umstead State Park, the East Coast Greenway, 286 East, please consider sending RDUAA your observations. Share on this page as well.

www.rdu.com