HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-12-08-TREE-min RECEIVED
Lexington Tree Committee Minutes 023 10�Felb,9:49 a,rn
12/08/22 `TOWN CLERK
LEMIINGTON MA
Members present: Gerry Paul, Nancy Sofen, Barbara Tarrh, Gloria Bloom, Pat Moyer, James
Wood, Mark Connor, Joe Pato (Select Board Liaison)
Town Staff. Dave Pinsonneault DPW, Mike Cronin Public Facilities
Agenda Items:
1. Appointed Mark Connor Scribe. Unanimously approved November Meeting Minutes
2. Mark and Dave presented a summary of the DPW/ TC working group to the whole
committee. Topics included Spring Tree planting, new tree bylaw proposals for Spring Town
Meeting and the status of the online implementation of the current bylaw. Discussions focused
on the TC's desire to maintain a consistent and robust town wide planting program without
interruption caused by specialized and highly focused planting mitigations. Dave indicated that
the current Fall and Spring planting budget was allocated to the mitigation of pine trees at
Center Field. Dave indicated that he has requested an increase in spending allowed from the
Tree Fund by $15,000 for the next fiscal year. A follow up conversation occurred centered on
bridging the gap between limited funding and accelerating annual tree planting by creating a
collaboration with the public and the DPW to plant saplings/whips in the front yard setback
throughout town. Consensus agreed that it was a worthwhile idea to continue to pursue. The
online bylaw implementation conversation centered on the current stalled status with Dave
indicating that he is awaiting an update and timetable from the Town's IT Department and
would reach out to IT on a status report. The TC members expressed frustration with the long
delayed completion of the job. Dave indicated that it was out of his control and dependent on a
highly leveraged IT Department. The proposed bylaw discussion focused on the merits of
several bylaw changes. Dave indicated that he would support the increase to the look back
provision and voiced real concern and lack of support for the expansion of the regulation of tree
on town owned property. A compromise was discussed to apply the current bylaw to new town
construction projects.
3. 2023 Spring Tree planting: The discussion was a continued topic of concern. The TC as a
whole reiterated its desire to not interrupt the well-established schedule of Spring and Fall tree
planting throughout town. Gerry expressed a strong desire to explore alternate ways to increase
the planting budget for this Spring. Dave reiterated his belief that trees planted at Center Field
qualify as part of the Spring Planting program. He also indicated that it was not only funds that
limited the DPW's ability to plant trees this Spring. Man power bandwidth was a limiting factor
as well. He also expressed a concern about depleting the tree fund today at the cost of future
solvency Nancy indicated a tree planted today is significantly more valuable than one planted in
the future. Various opportunities for cost saving options were discussed for the tree planting
program including watering methods, summer student internships and the increased emphasis
on Public/ Private planting initiatives such as the setback program and Community based
planting projects.
4. Dave updated the committee on the UVM Tree Canopy Assessment. He stated that Marc V.
had talked to the UVM team and expected something in January.
5. Dave also informed us that the Tree Inventory is available to the committee, requires some
additional tweaks and should go public in a month.
6. The Police Station tree removal hearing resulted in a positive outcome. A sensitive and
creative compromise solution was proposed by the Public Facilities Department and TC
members to save 8 significant trees by the new monopole communication tower along the rear
lot setback line of the project. Nancy voiced her strong appreciation for Mike Cronin's efforts to
save these trees at the potential cost of other program elements such as parking spaces. The Tree
Committee unanimously voted to support the proposed plan when it heads to the Select Board
for approval.
7. The Tree Committee unanimously voted to endorse the Tree Concern Statement presented by
Charlie Wyman.
8. The Tree Committee unanimously voted to endorse the Trees for Public Good Letter to
Governor Elect Healy.
9. Finally, a general update of the proposed Tracer Lane solar field development occurred. The
update was followed by a long and troubling discussion on the impact of such a large and
environmentally blunt project in such a sensitive parcel of undeveloped land. The project would
require the destruction/clear cutting of 795 trees. The Tree Bylaw would apply to the site and
would require significant mitigation and/or large payments to the tree fund if the project would
move forward. The Bylaw would also mandate the applicant to fully document the size, location
and species of every tree on the site including adjacent setback requirements. (This is a tangible
benefit of our bylaw update) There is significant opposition to the project from abutters, the
cities of Waltham and Cambridge.
10. The Committee unanimously voted to adjourn. The next scheduled TC Meeting is January
12, 2023 at 7:30 am.
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To: Lexington Select Board
Cc: Tree Committee, Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Permanent Building
Committee, Sustainable Lexington Committee, Town Meeting Members, and Town Manager
Date: November 2022
Re: Statement of Concern About Lexington's Trees
Our streets and neighborhoods are losing too many large trees. The undersigned express
our urgent concern that we are not doing enough as a community to protect and enlarge
Lexington's tree canopy, particularly at a time when a robust tree canopy is needed more
than ever,
Trees are one of the best defenses Lexington can have against the growing impacts of climate
change.
Middlesex County has historically had 8.7 days each year above 90°, but by century's end we are
expected to have 27 such days under a low-to-moderate emissions scenario and 58 dans with
business-as-usual emissions. Heat like this creates health risks for our children, elderly and other
vulnerable populations. Heat like this places an enormous energy burden on our cooling systems
and will make many summer outdoor activities unpleasant if not dangerous.
• Trees shade our homes in the summer and buffer against wind in winter, reducing
heating/cooling energy use by 25-40%.
• A tree canopy can have a 15-20°F impact on the hottest summer days, the difference between
our children playing outside or sitting in an air-conditioned room.
• Trees combat climate change both by sequestering carbon directly and by reducing building
energy demands (due to tree shading and windbreak).
• Trees mitigate stormwater and flooding by promoting soil infiltration and intercepting
rainfall that then evaporates.
• Trees improve air quality through uptake of gaseous pollution via leaf pores, intercepting
particulates, and inhibiting the formation of smog.
• Trees are a foundational part of the ecological communities that surround and sustain us,
especially in New England. Trees provide habitat to countless species of insects, fungi, moss,
birds, mammals, and plants, serving as critical elements in most food chains.
• Trees enhance property values. A range of studies have found increases of about 3 to 10
percent in residential property values associated with the presence of trees and vegetation.
• Studies have shown that trees provide a wealth of mental health and quality-of-life benefits,
from increased cognitive function to reductions in stress and anxiety, reduced crime, and
even more rapid recovery from surgery.
It can take 100 years or more for an oak to reach the size of many shade trees we have now (e.g.,
20" diameter). While we must continue to plant for the future, we must also recognize that what
is cut down now cannot be regrown in our children's lifetimes.
We ask that you make the preservation and enlargement of Lexington's tree canopy a
greater priority through all the means at the town's disposal, including education,
resources, and regulation. We ask that you set actionable goals reflecting the magnitude of
the challenge, and that you marshal every relevant committee and department to identify
concrete steps they can take to help meet these goals.
We NEED a robust canopy to help minimize the localized impacts of global climate change.
The best time to make these investments was thirty years ago; the next best time is NOW.
Organizations:
Individuals:
Text of letter to the Healey Team:
December 16, 2022
Dear Governor-Elect Healey:
We, the undersigned climate activists collaborating in the Trees as a Public Good Network, offer
our sincerest congratulations on your election victory. We feel assured our Commonwealth will
be all the better for your presence at the helm of government.
We are writing about implementation of the Healey climate plan, with a particular focus on
forest and tree canopy preservation as crucial elements in protecting the climate, our waters, and
wildlife habitat.
We strongly support several key points to which you committed during the campaign:
-Temporary moratorium on commercial harvesting on our state-owned public lands, which will
support forest recovery from years of ill-conceived logging;
-Science-based state forest management plan that works to establish carbon and biodiversity
reserves on state-owned lands;
-Removal of biomass subsidies from the Alternative Portfolio Standard.
We also urge you to expand on these plans,particularly in the areas of:
-Protecting mature forests;
-Protecting mature municipal trees;
-Environmentally responsible siting of solar panels.
We strongly recommend that you establish a permanent advisory board of independent climate
scientists and community-based climate activists to assure that all statewide policies
appropriately address climate goals and the public interest, including forest and tree
preservation. We respectfully ask that at least one representative from our network serve on that
advisory board.
We are also available to provide additional input or information on these issues and to support
your climate action plan as an urgent, essential goal of your new administration. The Trees as a
Public Good Network can be reached at TreesPublicGoodLgmail.com .
Signatures
Groups and Individuals will be listed here.
Cc: Gina McCarthy and Lizzi Weyant, Co-Chairs, Transition Committee on Climate
Readiness, Resiliency, and Adaptation