Three things we can do to save the city’s trees while task force takes a year to study situation
The relentless war on trees rages on in Cambridge. In addition to the hundreds of trees already cut down this year, another 200 mature trees will be cut down for the redevelopment of the former Abt Associates building behind Trader Joe’s in Fresh Pond. Corporations, not homeowners, cut down 50 trees in 10 days this April. Hundreds more were cut down in February by the railroad, with 60 stumps visible outbound from Porter Square.
Currently our Tree Ordinance requires only an “inch-for-inch diameter” replacement, only for trees bigger than 8 inches in diameter and only for new construction larger than a 20-unit apartment building. Specifically, a 10-inch diameter tree is “replaced” by five 2-inch saplings. Anyone looking at a mature tree knows this is ridiculous. Everyone knows young saplings aren’t replacing any sizable tree for many years to come – that is, if the saplings survive.
The Boston Globe describes how Boston’s failed sapling planting program was enacted instead of “maintaining its stock of older trees, which absorb more carbon dioxide, provide more shade and do more to reduce flooding” – even though Boston’s environmental chief says, “We know that mature trees contribute far more to our canopy than new trees.”
What can you do? Tell your city councillors to fix our ridiculous Tree Ordinance right now by requiring 10-inches of saplings for every 1 inch of trees cut down; and require the use of tree cutting permits to make it harder for corporations to cut down trees.
In any case, go to some of this week’s tree meetings:
Tuesday, 6 p.m., in the media library of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway: the first meeting of the “tree task force.”
Wednesday, 7 p.m., in Room 2-150 of Lesley University’s Hall, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square: Trees will be an integral part of the presentation of “The Great Swap Legacy” covering the area surrounding the Abt redevelopment where another 200 trees will be cut down.
Thursday, 5 p.m. on the steps of City Hall: “Rally to Preserve our Tree Canopy” to convince our councillors to vote for interim tree protections on Monday while the “tree task force” deliberates for the next year.
Charles Teague is a North Cambridge resident who caught W.R. Grace cutting down a tree in the public Linear Park, with the company having to fund three replacement trees. He also doubled the number of replacement Linear Park trees as part of the Dick’s Auto Body redevelopment permitting process and had the Cambridge Lumber redevelopment redesign its Linear Park boundary. Send email to [email protected].
The Cambridge City Council and the DCR are poised to destroy 56 mostly excellent trees at Magazine Beach. Cambridge and the DCR recently destroyed HUNDREDS of mostly excellent trees between the BY and Longfellow Bridges.
Suddenly so many sweet sounding people are yelling about “saving trees” AND COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE IMMINENT RAMPING UP OF THE OUTRAGE ON MEMORIAL DRIVE.
It is silly to consider these many “initiatives” as anything other than just another WELL ORGANIZED con game to distract well meaning people from this imminent outrage by the Cambridge City Council and the DCR.
For the achieved destruction, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o.
For the imminent outrage, see cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&Id=1815&Inline=True.
This is the City record of my very detailed letter of June 6, 2017, to the Cambridge City Council in response to their Order 1 on April 24, 2017. This is 51 pages analyzing every tree at Magazine Beach, and providing two DCR versions of destruction plans.
There have been multiple follow ups, including, and much shorter, the City Council copy in the 6/16/18 city council package of my letter to two state secretaries debunking yet another pious, and destructive, initiative by the Cambridge City Council. This time they are trying to sneak in destruction in Cambridge as part of the I90 rebuild.
Typo. BY Bridge should be BU Bridge. Helpful smartphone. Sorry about that.
And the City Council meeting is 6/18/18. Sorry, again.
PPS, and not part of the letter.
WELL ORGANIZED:
In Cambridge, it is silly and a downright waste of time to try to distinguish between the knaves and the well intended victims. The victims are so belligerent that they might as well be the knaves.
Mr. Teague has a well established record of chasing his tail and ignoring much more important and winnable fights.
As far as my record goes, please note the concluding attachment to the secretaries’ letter in the communications. That is a 2 sided back to back. I hope both sides made it. It is a partial.