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Renee Scott submitting comments re: #207498, the Tree Protection Ordinance.
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To the Honorable City Council:
I am writing in support of the Tree Protection Ordinance. There is no doubt, as the city with the least amount of green space, and with our recent clear cutting of thousands of trees in Somerville, we must do everything in our power to protect the trees that remain. Trees provide so many ecosystem benefits: cooling of the air, carbon sequestration, stormwater uptake, and pollinator habitat. And, they also just make people happier. Studies have proven this, but anyone who has been around a tree can probably confirm this, as well. It's too easy to say we will replant trees that are cut down, but that misses a critical point: it takes a generation for the tree to grow, through harsh urban conditions, to have the same ability to clean, cool, and take in water as the tree it is replacing. Replanting is important, vital in fact, but protecting the established trees we already have should be our number one priority.
Warmly,
Renée Scott