Email Letter: DCR Hides Wasteful Destruction in Gov’s Bond Bill; “Support” obtained by Fraud.
I am in the process of sending the following letter to members of the Massachusetts legislature. This analysis includes typo corrections.
Please note that tree destruction plans are posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/tree-destruction-plans-charles-river.html.
Folks who would like to join me may find legislators’ emails at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/emails-for-all-massachusetts.html.
I object to the bonding authorization of $24 million to destroy hundreds of trees on Memorial Drive on the Charles River in Cambridge between the BU and Longfellow Bridges included in H4009 (formerly H3332), as part of “Historical Parkways.”
I object to the bonding of $4 million in the same bill for environmental destruction under the next three bridges over the Charles River under the euphemism of “underpasses.
These projects would include other environmental destruction and massive heartless animal abuse. There is a lot to destroy in the area. DCR projects always hurt as many animals as possible ancillary to their goal of killing off or driving away as many animals as they can on the Charles River Basin. DCR and Cambridge recently started a comparable mass tree destruction and animal pogrom in the Alewife reservation near Alewife station. They destroyed acres of irreplaceable woodlands and much more looks like it is coming.
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I see a pious letter of support by the falsely named Charles River “Conservancy.” This entity has a strikingly bad record on environmental destruction. They function as a cheerleader for the reprehensible Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Cambridge.
DCR has a policy of killing off or driving away all resident animals on this part of the Charles River. DCR has been very vicious and cruel in actions supported by this fake “conservancy.” DCR has indulged in massive destruction supported by a repeated pattern of outrageous lies.
One example of lies is a swim in the CRC did to celebrate destruction at Magazine Beach. The project walled off Magazine Beach from the Charles River. It replaced healthy grass with sickly stuff and it started dumping poisons in a previously sacrosanct area. Athletic fields were destroyed to drain off poisons which should not even be there.
The 33 year resident Charles River White Geese have been deliberately starved and worse since them.
The CRC destroyed most of the ground vegetation between the BU Bridge and the BU Boathouse. They replaced healthy ground vegetation with dirt. The DCR has worked with irresponsible railroad workers to make the situation worse. When the Cambridge Conservation Commission’s executive director objected, the DCR told the railroad workers to keep up the destruction, just to move beyond the very small CCC jurisdiction.
They are heartlessly abusing the local animal residents, most visibly the highly valued 33 year resident Charles River White Geese..
I was shocked just now to review the CRC official position on the destruction in the governor’s bond bill, in a letter to the legislature. I was shocked by how little the CRC letter meaningfully said about this very destructive bill which it supports.
Separate from this letter, the CRC bragged in a widely distributed email communication of the initial filing of the governor’s bond bill. Translating the euphemisms, the CRC bragged of $24 million for destruction of hundreds of trees between the BU and Longfellow Bridge with associated attacks on resident animals.
This $24 million bond authorization in the governor’s bond bill was described by the CRC as “incidental” to $4 million for underpasses under the next three bridges west of the BU Bridge. This “underpasses” project has been condemned as environmentally destructive by a responsible agency, MassDOT.
CRC ran around getting “approvals” for the $4 million in “underpasses” environmental destruction. They now call the $24 million in massive tree destruction “ancillary” to the $4 million in “underpasses.” I call such a comparison flat out fraud. There is no question in my mind that support, albeit misguided, for the $4 million “underpasses” project has been warped into support for the combination of $28 million destruction. In the sick world which is Cambridge, MA, $24 million is incidental to $4 million.
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In response to CRC’s self congratulations, my record is a lot better and my record is on the side I claim to be on.
I am writing individually and as Chair of Friends of the White Geese, a non profit recognized by the Attorney General’s Office.
I have defended the Charles River since 2000 individually and as Chair of Friends of the White Geese. One of our first achievements was to discredit the predecessor organization to the falsely named Charles River “Conservancy.” The predecessor “disappeared” and the CRC announced itself a few months later.
The then local State Representative called for an animal pogrom aimed at the Charles River White Geese in the Cambridge Chronicle. He and his accomplices would have succeed if it were not for Friends of the White Geese, politically, and if it were not for, functionally, the Charles River Urban Wilds Initiative who have been forced to neutralize the deliberate starvation with feedings.
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I am a former railroader (2 years). I was involved in Red Line Extension planning. Since 1985, I have been involved in Urban Ring planning. In 1986, I proposed the Kenmore Charles River Crossing. It was adopted as one of two alternatives by the MBTA in 1991. Since 1991, the City of Cambridge has consistently lied, denying that the Kenmore Crossing exists. Zoning has been changed in Cambridgeport based on this lie.
I have recently proposed a Green Line A spur creation to support Harvard’s relocation of its Medical School to the Mass. Pike off ramps / railroad yard area in Allston.
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Starting in 1978, I have written more of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance than any other person not employed by the City of Cambridge. My achievements have emphasized environmental protection and housing creation at a responsible scale. I have downzoned about 85% of the Massachusetts Avenue corridor between Harvard and Central Squares.
The former Inn at Harvard in East Harvard Square was forced on Harvard University by the Cambridge City Council in response to one of my achievements. The former Inn at Harvard in East Harvard Square was forced on Harvard University by the Cambridge City Council in response to one of my zoning initiatives. Harvard wanted it 72% larger and built to the lotline.
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I have been part of the only meaningful achievement by environmental activists in the Alewife reservation. I wrote the zoning proposal which resulted in the conversion of a massive, DCR owned private parking lot back to nature.
A comparable group to the CRC ran around fighting for the ongoing and increasing DCR / Cambridge destruction of the Alewife reservation woodlands at Alewife by telling people to look at everything other than the real problem, the highly destructive DCR and Cambridge.
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Cambridge has very destructive politics disguising itself as sainthood.
Cambridge and the DCR work very closely together.
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The $24 million and $4 million buried in this bill are excellent examples of the problem with Cambridge, the DCR, the falsely named CRC, and so many other influenced groups maneuvering public opinion without disclosing their records and their connections.
