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Cambridge Tree Project Bulletin, September 23, 1999
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Cambridge Tree Project Newsletter September 23, 1999
Happy First Day of Fall.
For latest draft of Cambridge
Tree Ordinance
For previous draft of Cambridge
Tree Ordinance
1. We want your review of the draft of the Cambridge Tree Ordinance
which is attached. If you have trouble receiving it, please send
a reply and we will send you a copy. mailto:75677.103@compuserve.com
.
2. Join us for a TREE WALK of Harvard Square and the Brattle Street
area on Sat. September 25. Meet near Harvard Square at the corner of Garden
Street and Massachusetts Avenue at the edge of the Cambridge Common between
9 and 10 am for tree care demonstrations and answers to your questions
on tree identification, watering, mulching, and how to care for trees during
drought, flooding we have experienced this year, and how to help your trees
through the winter. Arborist Larry Acosta has been volunteering his time
for these weekend tree walks. Join us!
The goal for these tree walk is to look at what our trees need now after the drought this spring and summer and recent years and for a sustainable future.
Sat. Sept. 18 Central Square: Meet at City Hall, 795 Mass Ave.
Sat. Sept. 25 Harvard Square: Mass. Ave. & Garden St.
Sat. Oct. 2 Lafayetter Sq & Cambridgeport: Meet at Mass.
Ave. & Main St.
Our goals are to teach you to 1.) provide basic care for trees and adopt trees and, 2.) identify some common trees and tree problems so you can help us be the eyes and ears for our city’s trees; and 3.) determine next steps.
For information, to register for a walk, or to care for our street trees or a tree inventory team or to help develop policies and plans to protect and maintain our trees in Cambridge, call 547-1413 or fax 876-8991 or email. Please don’t forget to give us your name, address, telephone number, email if you have it, and interests. Thanks!
3. City Council Candidates participated in the Greenspace Alliance forum which was co-sponsored by Cambridge Tree Project and many other organizations, last week at the Senior Center on Sept. 14. There was considerable support for the tree ordinance expressed and for the educational efforts with school children in Cambridge with the Arbor Day. One of the questions asked was:
Are you aware that it takes 20-40 years to grow a mature tree, but less than a day to chop it down. Our street trees only live an average of 7-10 years. Yet trees save up to 25% in cooling costs, 10-25% in heating costs, soak up water and decrease flooding, change sunlight into stored energy, increase property values 7-20%. (a) Are you willing to support A Cambridge Tree Ordinance to protect and preserve trees in Cambridge? (b) Would you support the provision of tax incentives for protected trees and neighborhood embellishment taxes to maintain trees? (c) Should the Tree Ordinance provide educational tools to citizens and developers so they can save money on trees in the long run and/or charge fees to recover the costs? (d) Would you protect ( I ) all trees nominated and reviewed by an open public process, (ii) all large magnificent trees and/or (iii) healthy specimen trees of different species?
The first candidate to answer the question, Jim Braude, answered yes, yes, yes, and yes and further said he couldn’t imagine a candidate who wouldn’t answer this way. Other candidates spoke about their support for the tree ordinance and some even added it to their remarks when it was not the question they were asked.
A sampling of candidates statements submitted to the Greenspace Environmental Issues forum will be posted on the Cambridge Tree Project Web page tomorrow along with the latest draft of Cambridge Tree Ordinance.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DoanePerry/homepage.htm
4. Next week there will be a City Council Candidates night on Development sponsored by the Citizens for Growth Management. It will be held in the Senior Center on Wednesday, September 29 at 7 - 9p.m. at 806 Mass Ave across from City Hall in Central Square. This will be another chance to get your questions asked and hear the differences between the candidates.
5. Tree Walk Sat. Oct. 2 Lafayetter Sq & Cambridgeport: Meet at
Mass. Ave. & Main St. with Arborist Larry Acosta. We plan to spend
the first hour 9-10 a.m. in Lafayette Square, walk briefly into area 4
around the Margaret Fuller House and then walk into the new development
around University Park and into Cambridgeport. Please rsvp so we can get
an idea of how many are coming.
6. Larry gave good information on pruning and what to look for when
pruning trees. Annie Ballem is making a videotape of the tree walk so you
will be able to find this information on CCTV. We will let you know when
you can see this program on CCTV.
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