Wicked Local Staff Photo/Sara Feijo
Wicked Local Cambridge article



Wicked Local Staff Photo/Sara Feijo
Wicked Local Cambridge article


Quinton Zondervan
Cambridge Day aritcle

Belmont Selectmen have a double message from last night's meeting, but we support Selectman Paolillo town political reservation of economic pressure the new development will place on the town's basic services. At the same time they were willing once again to hear from Lesley biology professors Amy Mertl and David Morimoto who presented a strong argument for town enhancing benefits for natural resources functions and their financial savings from severe water/flood and pollution damages in the years ahead. New Selectman Bagdadi also applauded their economic research on the "Uplands" and Chair Rojas said they were doing everything they could. We do not know what that means or does anyone but them (Everything is in closed executive session).

Earlier in the day, a large protest was held on site with around 40 persons holding signs and 20 went into the woods trespassing on private land and being told so by company representative. In order to confuse the tree cutters, we brave souls placed pink ribbons on many trees which denoted a no cut tag which foresters use for allowing trees to stand. Then we congregated back in the woods where huge swaths of roads had been cleared around a large composter truck for grinding tree materials. We taped ribbon around the trees and truck symbolizing a blockage for stopping the vehicle. When Assistant Police chief MacIssac came with Belmont Police chief and high official to give us options for leaving, i.e. stopping (asking the owner) for a no day of cutting in order to wait for a court Injunction decision today, or leaving momentarily, our group of 5 chose to get arrested unless the O'Neill-Rose View group would agree to the financial purchase terms from Trust for Public Land which they have formally mailed twice to the Pa. owner, O'Neill Properties (searching to see if he remains the owner of AP Cambridge Partners LLC II as listed owner). I claimed to the officers that the cutting had gone way beyond the permit scope of what was allowed in the "Sediment and Erosion Control" stage and were actually clear cutting the land by dividing it up and carving huge roads so that the clear cutting would be easy and swift and completed in a few days with bulldozers. Susan and Joanna explained the cooling, nourishing and flood prevention trees would never return. There were many 80 to 100 year old trees on the property, but because the area is residential-sparse around the woodlands, few have spoken up for them over the many years owners were planning the development of 300 units.

Famed Audubon naturalist and author of Audubon Field Guide to New England, Peter Alden mentioned the term, "Silver Maple Forest" 10 years ago when he led walks for our organization and FAR began calling it that and you all can make the forest just that and live forever.

None had been arrested before and we were thus well treated by Belmont Police and Cambridge, and police and the judge who waved the fees. No one can get arrested again for 6 months in a "pre-trial" probation charge. A police woman putting us in the van with cuffs behind back said she was selling her house close by (most likely East Arlington) because she already regularly incurred flooding damages and this would increase them.

Going to court for a 3-10 day stay of execution will buy a tiny bit of time, but we don't even know TODAY how many more trees are cut. So grass roots efforts must continue unabated in order to meet this goal. SInce it can't be money, is it vengeance and politics against climate change proponents, we wonder? Is it to show other real estate deelopers, you can ride roughshod over local zoning and national and state and municipal environmental regulations put in place with the Clean water and Clean Air Acts of this nation? Many of us think so. The act goes way beyond the silver maple forest, to those climate change supporters. FAR and Green Cambridge realize this.

Representative Rogers who represents Cambridge, Belmont and Arlington together with Senator Will Brownsberger say there is not much hope that they personally have and have done everything they can. If you feel you have any influence with these 2 and Patricia Jehlen, please call them today.

So, we'll need to stay extremely active with other organizations involved to continue to follow suit as was our choice in the many consensus meetings. This Friday morning early before work or school, join us for an hour please.

You all will need to jump start that and call the groups you are familiar with and donate a token of financial support to get behind this effort. While no official information is out, my understanding is that another 7-9 AM event will take place Friday witih similar approach.

Please challenge your conscience on how you feel about this. We need you all as we are on the verge of a Policy Order by Marc and Councilors Mazen and Carlone to back it which states 'no part of Cambridge will be used in any way for the project'. You may call Marc to support that the Order not be given up to Manager's changes or refusal.

The Chronicle article as you can see has a fair amount of wrong information, but for snap shot readings, it includes a photo and a few thoughtful comments and some rain fall facts, but people-wise, spurious on the scene gleaning of whomever is standing nearby Sara, and not respectful of the people or context. That article will be place in all newspapers. Over all, Poor press without more effort from organizations. That can come.

My work will be directed at bringing back some of the scientists who testified in 2009 and 2010 at DEP hearings for an Environmental Hearing in Cambridge for the last week in October by Environmental committee Chair, Leland Cheung. We'll be inviting Amy and David as well as specialists such as Bruce Jacobs and Patrick Fairbairn, and Chuck Katuska, who are highly specialized scientists and hope they will return. Stay tuned on Environmental Hearing- if trees remain and injunction is upheld.

I will also join you all at public events. We are relying on those who are attending the Council meetings, Selectmen's meetings, finding out the real ownership of the Uplands now, and stopping the carnage legally and/or physically.

The ground work is laid, and folks will test their conscience to know where to go next. Call the groups you know involved, but my group has gone beyond what is possible and needsother and more leadership.

Silver Maple Forest Alliance
Green Cambridge
TROMP
Sustainable Belmont
Sustainable Arlington
Arlington Land Trust
Climate Action Coalition
Mystic River Watershed Association
350ma.org
Peace Action
Fresh Pond Residents Alliance
Belmont Citizens Forum
Coalition to Preserve Belmont Uplands
Sierra Club

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