2022-04-14-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment: Dear Mr. Malloy, We agree that the Tree Committee, like other Town appointed committees in Lexington, has little or no jurisdiction, the power to make decisions, concerning Town matters. The role of these volunteer committees is to provide advice to Town officials based on the experience and expertise of their members. Town officials have the option of not following this advice or even ignoring it. Usually, however, they listen to it and interact constructively with the committees to assure the best possible outcome in any given situation. Our recommendations and request concerning the removal of trees at the center recreation complex relate in part to process and transparency. These two Lexington core values result in better decisions and increase the confidence of residents that Town government is working most effectively on their behalf. The Tree Committee agrees that the Tree Warden has the right to remove imminent hazards posed by trees. He also has the responsibility to first seek to mitigate the hazard - by pruning, cabling, or other maintenance measures short of removal. In the case of the 37 white pine trees at the center recreation complex, there are several unique conditions that lead the Tree Committee to state that wholesale removal of these trees is not justified and should be halted unless and until there is compelling evidence that a given tree's removal is necessary for public safety. The report issued by Mr. Brady of A&B Landscape does not identify any particular tree as hazardous. Older trees do require maintenance, which in general is preferable to removal both for cost effectiveness and to preserve the environmental benefits of the mature tree. To remove a line of trees because they are old and require some pruning flies in the face of prudent management of Lexington's natural resources and will adversely affect the Town's ability to achieve its stated goal of carbon neutrality on a timeline that will help us to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Only trees individually assessed as hazardous should be removed. Removal of these trees is irreversible and will affect generations of Lexington residents to come by contributing further to greenhouse gas production, removing climate-mitigating ecological services, and leaving the center recreation complex a windier and more barren landscape that is less conducive to residents' health and happiness. The Tree Committee would be derelict in our duty if we were to not speak under these circumstances. Sincerely, For the Lexington Tree Committee: