Dear Friends,

I want to thank you for being a valued part of the Umstead community. Through volunteering, donating, and attending hikes and events, you have helped advance our shared goal of protecting the Park we all love.

As we close out the year, I want to share an update about where things stand with our ongoing fight to stop RDU Quarry and Save RDU Forest, and why your continued support is so important. 

This month, Wake County Superior Court Judge Sean Cole ruled in favor of the Umstead Coalition, restoring the original Sunset Clause on the Wake Stone Triangle Quarry permit and ordering the reinstatement of undisturbed protective buffers along Crabtree Creek and Umstead State Park. This ruling confirms that Triangle Quarry operations adjacent to the Park must end by May 2031 and that the buffers intended to protect the Park cannot be weakened.

This was a significant win, and it happened because our members and supporters stayed engaged and helped fund years of legal work. However, despite the court’s clear ruling, the NC DEQ has not yet issued the revised permit ordered by the court, and Wake Stone is continuing efforts to intervene and overturn the decision. We are actively responding in court and prepared to defend the ruling.

At the same time, we are continuing our legal efforts to restore low-density residential zoning on the Odd Fellows tract, now before the NC Court of Appeals. This case is critical to preventing future industrial use immediately adjacent to the Park.

In 2026, we will also continue the work that connects people to Umstead and strengthens public support for its protection. Planned activities include our First Day Hike along the Yellow Dot Trail near the proposed quarry site, expanded guided hikes throughout the Park, community events at the historic Sycamore Mess Hall, volunteer service projects, and our spring and fall native plant sales. We will also continue supporting Park Ranger environmental education programs.

The Umstead Coalition is the only nonprofit dedicated to supporting Umstead State Park. As a volunteer-led organization, 100% of your donations go directly to supporting the Park and surrounding open space, ensuring that your generosity has a direct and lasting impact. The Umstead Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.

Thank you for your continued commitment to this Park. Your year-end gift helps ensure that we can finish the work we have started and protect Umstead — permanently.

I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!

- Dr. Jean Spooner
Chair, The Umstead Coalition

PS: Read our full 2025 Year in Review

Photo: Freedom on the Trail by Anna Winters