2. Update.
3. Big Difference — Alewife.
4. Big Difference — Charles River.
5. Big Difference — Cambridge Common.
6. Big Difference — Standard Sickness.
7. Summary.
1. Introduction and link: irresponsible tree clearing on Cape Cod.
Dale Appel provided input on tree destruction on Cape Cod which I published on October 1 at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/cambridge-ma-input-on-tree-destruction.html.
She has since followed up with the following link on irresponsible underbrush clearing on Cape Cod: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/10/01/route-6-tree-clearing-project-outrages-cape-cod-residents/.
She has also provided me with the following photo from the Cape Cod Times.
The more barren half is the after picture.
2. Update.
Reports I have heard on WBZ indicate that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has apologized for excessive tree cutting and promised to plant new trees where the old were irresponsibly destroyed.
The position of MassDOT is that their instructions were to clean up vegetation within 25 feet of the highway. If you will look at the before and after pictures, you can see an unplanted area to the right of the highway view in both shots. This is what I anticipate they were talking about.
This 25 foot strip seems to be required on superhighways. I have seen Massachusetts super highways in which signs were obscured because of failure to prevent blockage because on non maintenance of the side of the road.
Folks have demonstrated and spoken out concerning the irresponsible destruction. MassDOT has stated that its contractor violated their contract and destroyed far more than was expected.
This sounds like a victory, albeit too late but a victory, and I congratulate both the residents and MassDOT.
I would anticipate that MassDOT intends to collect from the contractor both for any excessive billing to MassDOT for work and for MassDOT’s cost of cleaning up the situation.
3. Big Difference — Alewife.
Here is a photo of what Cambridge and the Department of Conservation and Recreation did to the Alewife woodlands, an area of great value not only for its intrinsic value, but also because it is so rare in the area. The trees which can be seen way in the distance used to fill the entire area of the photograph.
Instead of apologizing for the destruction, Cambridge is bragging about it. This is a photo attached to a puff piece from them printed on the internet. The Cambridge City Council explanation is to hypocritically yell at neighboring private developers and keep its own vileness as secret as possible.
4. Big Difference — Charles River.
Chapter 286 of the Acts of 2014, “Historic Parkways” includes $20 million for the destruction of hundreds of uniformly excellent trees at on Memorial Drive next to the Charles River.
The destruction plans have been posted at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/tree-destruction-plans-charles-river.html.
The explanations for destruction have varied with regard to what any particular audience would sucker for.
The initial explanation translated as “Won’t it look great in 40 years.”
The explanation to the Boston Globe was a typical, and not at all unusual lie. This lie was that all the trees being destroyed were diseased. The diseased trees were destroyed in phase 1. This is phase 2. The bureaucrats' plan at the link very clearly indicates no diseased trees.
The explanation then started as fraud by misrepresentation. The falsely named Charles River Conservancy ran around getting signatures approving an irresponsible underpass project under the next three bridge over the Charles. This project was condemned by MassDOT, a responsible state agency.
CRC, when it announced the predecessor to Chapter 286 stated that the destruction of hundreds trees is incidental to the irresponsible underpasses. This, thus, is the lie they used to get the destruction of those hundreds of trees into Chapter 286 of the Acts of 2014.
Ever since, the explanation has been deafening silence.
Most importantly in the silence has been a fake neighborhood association which has been lying of its concern for the Charles River and fighting for massive destruction by calling it anti Charles River to defend the Charles River. Their big lie has been emphasis on an old building they yell about, combined with multiple examples of corrupt tactics to prevent and VETO, as necessary, any meaningful discussion.
This outrage is normal in Cambridge, MA. It is a system by which a reprehensible government lies to its voters of its own sainthood while achieving exactly the opposite of what it claims to stand for.
One standard con game from the Cambridge City Council is a sudden concern about animal abuse in traveling circuses, while keeping their own heartless animal abuse as secret as possible.
Here are four relevant photos.
Two photos (in and out of season) are presented of the excellent grove at the Memorial Drive split which the destroyers are fighting to destroy.
Two photos are presented as well of the excellent tree east of the BU Bridge. It proudly stands above the Destroyed Nesting Area. This tree at the BU Bridge is normal size among the hundreds slated for destruction. The others are impossible to meaningfully photograph. They are so large. You cannot get the angle.
This tree appears on the first plan page of the destruction plan (link above). It immediately follows the cover page. The grove slated for destruction is a few pages in. Trees slated for destruction are greyed.
5. Big Difference — Cambridge Common.
Cambridge’s irresponsible planning department has fought for this destruction for perhaps ten years or so.
There, I believe, is also state money involved.
The Cambridge City Council is belligerently destroying the excellent grove of trees at the Harvard Square entrance to the Cambridge Common. As usual, they are destroying while lying about their own sainthood.
Here is a photo of the excellent grove leading into the Cambridge Common from Harvard Square. It is about to be devastated by the vile Cambridge City Council.
One of my reports on this outrage was the topic of one of my weekly Cable Shows. That clip is posted at http://youtu.be/ FgQ9ojVuMxM. The clip includes a number of photos of excellent, condemned trees.
I published a report on the less visible planned destruction on the Cambridge Common at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/cambridge-ma-usa-common-other-trees.html.
6. Big Difference — Standard Sickness.
On the Charles River, the sickos brag about planting saplings in place of mature trees needlessly being destroyed.
These vile people deliberately confuse the situation on the Cape with the outrage on Memorial Drive.
On the Cape, MassDOT seems to be ordering its contractor to plant saplings to replace mature, excellent trees which should not have destroyed.
On Memorial Drive, the sickos are fighting for DELIBERATE, NEEDLESS destruction, then planting saplings. They lie that this is the same as what MassDOT correction of unintended destruction which MassDOT is proposing on the cape.
It is not the same. MassDOT is doing what little it can to correct irresponsible, unauthorized destruction. The sickos acting as Fronts for the City of Cambridge and the Department of Conservation and Recreation are lying that DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION is saintly if “CORRECTED” in the manner of accidental, untended destruction.
At Alewife, Cambridge brags of destruction and has no intention to provide any “replacement”.
On the Cambridge Common, there may be saplings involved. I am not aware of it. If saplings are planted, those sapling plantings would be no less vile than the outrage on the Charles River.
7. Summary.
I think MassDOT seems to be doing the best it can with an unintended outrage.
The government of the City of Cambridge, particularly its City Council, is simply grossly irresponsible, with help in irresponsible destruction by Governor Patrick and the legislature.
Additionally, and this is by no means minor, the government of the City of Cambridge, and their accomplices, hide behind fake "protective" groups fighting for destruction while lying that they are doing the opposite. Those fake groups have horribly filthy hands with the corrupt tactics they use to prevent the sort of organizing which has been so successful, albeit late, on Cape Cod.
