It's football vs. forest in Va. Tech sports facility controversy

[bchampy]

It's football vs. forest in Va. Tech sports facility controversy - CNN.com

When it comes to recruiting, Virginia Tech's athletics department is taking an "if we build it, they will come" approach, with plans to construct a new $20 million indoor practice facility for its football and other sports teams near Lane Stadium on the university campus.

The Hokies have the third-longest college bowl game streak in the country, and have sold out every game since 1998. However, they have yet to win a national championship. The athletics department hopes a state-of-the-art facility nearer to the football stadium could help change that.

There's only one problem: A densely wooded area chock full of old-growth trees, some older than the United States itself, is in the way.

Those are some really old trees to cut down. What do you guys think?

 

[bchampy]

Here is an online petition to save the woods.
Petition Save Virginia Tech's Stadium Woods from Development

 

[NDHoosier101]

Save the trees!


I signed

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Virginia Tech is in the middle of a valley in the middle of a giant forest. We do not hurt for trees on our campus. If it was a school building being put up, nobody would care.

 

[bchampy]

Virginia Tech is in the middle of a valley in the middle of a giant forest. We do not hurt for trees on our campus. If it was a school building being put up, nobody would care.

So you're saying people are only up in arms because the school wants to build an athletic facility?

 

[VTscores]

So you're saying people are only up in arms because the school wants to build an athletic facility?

People are up in arms because one professor doesn't want his small piece of woods on Va Tech's campus disturbed.

It is truly difficult to believe that this little piece of woods is the only one of that age in the whole New River Valley. It just happens to be the only one on the Va Tech campus.

I say build the facility, and if people want to look at the other 2/3 of the forest that's left after that, they can feel free to.

 

[VTscores]

Funny, isn't it, that the most ardent supporters seem to be fans of OTHER football programs!

Suddenly, football fans become arborists.

 

[NDHoosier101]

Funny, isn't it, that the most ardent supporters seem to be fans of OTHER football programs!

Suddenly, football fans become arborists.

:brushteeth:

 

[hokiegrad]

Virginia Tech is in the middle of a valley in the middle of a giant forest. We do not hurt for trees on our campus. If it was a school building being put up, nobody would care.

I don't know about that. I think the same prof would be making the same stink regardless. Maybe less people would care, because it's a little easier to get people riled about "those immoral athletics programs", but plenty of people would still care.

From what I've heard, this is supposedly a really rare forest that they were shocked was what it was. Is that because they haven't looked in other places, making this a huge overreaction? Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Besides, I think this only affects 1/4 of the forest. So I'm not too upset about this.

 

[bchampy]

Funny, isn't it, that the most ardent supporters seem to be fans of OTHER football programs!

Suddenly, football fans become arborists.

Wut?

 

[ckhokie]

Since when do we have a shortage of trees in SW VA? The only people who are upset with this are the same hippies who flipped shit the roller hockey rink was torn up for the basketball practice facility, and all the kids who used to go get blazed in those woods when they were freshman.

 

[ACC_HOKIES]

Let's be clear to start out: forest conservation is an important ideal. This ideal should be especially true for a school with the background that Tech has. Also, there is a valid argument to preserve this specific type and age of forest. With that said, there is no legal protection for this forest stand, and while rare in some respects, the forest stand is not unique to the area (national park tree coverage throughout Virginia are some of the most diverse in the country, specifically the east coast). There are also older trees on campus and the surrounding counties.

I maintain from our previous discussion on this board that the athletic department should examine alternatives and build in the best overall location for the long term. Impacts to the forest should be minimized, but there is some give and take here. If forest stands must be removed the department should mitigate by planting and/or preserving, offsite, multiple times the area removed. They could conserve a much much larger area of forest in the surrounding counties for relatively low cost (compared to the overall project). Future conservation projects could be agreed to (although at that point it'd be above and beyond the expected), even a tiny bit of each ticket sold, so that the department has something to give back. That strategy may not account for the total intangible value of the forest lost, but it's a reasonable compromise. Removing trees is inevitable with development.

 

[hunzworth]

"stadium woods" should have been leveled for parking years ago anyway. BTW VT should buy those boarded up old apartments on either green or warren st and fix them up for student (athlete) housing.

 

[VTscores]

I think they should build the practice facility, and promise not to touch the rest of the woods.

They can keep the other 3/4s of it for the good professor to walk through.

Oh, and I like trees as much as anyone.

 

[Sleepy T]

Cut 'em down. We need some glass/crystal footballs. There are plenty of trees in the New River Valley.

If the "Tree huggers" win this one we'll have to call Harvey Updike Jr and put in a hit on them trees.

ROLL DAMN TIDE!!!

 

[Ragingcroc]

First off, it is not football vs. trees. Everyone wants to see the practice facility built. It should be built at the site it was originally planned to be built at; the tennis courts as shown below. The university master building plan has new tennis courts planned anyway.

 

[Rocky]

It's football vs. forest in Va. Tech sports facility controversy - CNN.com



Those are some really old trees to cut down. What do you guys think?[/QUOTE]

I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a new freekin indoor practice facility at Va Tech.

While we're at it, expand Lane to 100K, Join the SEC, give Dillon his freekin scholly, and be done with it.

 

[wildturkey]

Since when do we have a shortage of trees in SW VA? The only people who are upset with this are the same hippies who flipped shit the roller hockey rink was torn up for the basketball practice facility, and all the kids who used to go get blazed in those woods when they were freshman.

Students blaze up in those woods? No way. You're making that up. I don't know a single person who has done such a thing. *walks away nervously whistling*


The tennis court idea makes the most sense if Tech has plans for new courts. Those courts kinda suck anyway. They aren't really kept up all that well. (Probably because Tech is looking for an excuse to bulldoze them).

Also, to whoever mentioned the Green and Warren street apts, I'm shocked VT hasn't annexed that entire neighborhood. As fast as VT puts up buildings, they're kinda running out of space.

 

[hokiegrad]

First off, it is not football vs. trees. Everyone wants to see the practice facility built. It should be built at the site it was originally planned to be built at; the tennis courts as shown below. The university master building plan has new tennis courts planned anyway.

doesn't look like it fits where the tennis courts are...

I used to live on Center St. I walked through those woods every day. I'm sure I have a more sentimental attachment to them than most people. And I say cut them down if that's the best place to put the practice facility (which it certainly appears to be). We're talking about a small wood in the middle of a populated area. And not the type of wood you can turn into a park or something. Its days are numbered. Might as well be replaced by something more useful than more apartments.

 

[hokiegrad]

Cut 'em down. We need some glass/crystal footballs. There are plenty of trees in the New River Valley.

If the "Tree huggers" win this one we'll have to call Harvey Updike Jr and put in a hit on them trees.

ROLL DAMN TIDE!!!

Two words. WAR EAGLE!