[act-ma] June 14th: Peaceful Protest in Action to Save the Silver Maple Forest

[Friends of Alewife Reservation]

Contact: Quinton  Zondervan  617-520-4720

president at greencambridge.org

Run through: 14 June 2013

Action to Save Silver Maple Forest

Friday 14 June, 2013, Alewife MBTA Station, 8am to 910am, 5pm to 6pm

                                                              Followed by a
full day vigil along Acorn Park Drive

A Silver Maple Forest day of action will take place at the Alewife MBTA
Station and Acorn Park Drive on Friday, June 14th . Starting at 8:00am
during rush hour, citizens of Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge and the
surrounding area will make known their concerns about proposed dangerous,
illegal wetlands development in the area with a group demonstration at the
Alewife MBTA Station.  All are welcome to join us and participate in a
respectful and peaceful manner. Following the demonstration, we will move
along Acorn Park Drive and hold a vigil throughout the day, moving back to
the Alewife MBTA station starting at 5pm.  A guided bicycle ride around the
Reservation perimeter will start at 5:30pm for individuals and families, to
learn about the rich ecology of the 130 acre Alewife Reservation and the
adjoining Silver Maple Forest.

Many local organizations, environmentalists and residents are greatly
concerned about the impacts of a proposed housing development on the
Belmont Uplands, a beautiful forested area within the greater Alewife
ecosystem. The threatened forest connects with many acres of Cambridge
wetlands, and is a rich wildlife corridor through Cambridge, Belmont and
Arlington including the Little River that flows through the Route 16
greenway north to the Mystic River. Concerns about the proposed
development, which are well documented, range from traffic problems,
garbage dumping, water quality and flooding in the Alewife area, to loss of
open space, wildlife and habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity.
Clear-cutting most of the forest would be required to accommodate the
proposed development.

Replacing this large and unique natural forest in the Boston area with
condominiums would represent a critical loss of natural habitat to the
area. Continuous appeals by the citizen based Belmont Coalition and Friends
of Alewife Reservation, who are both plaintiffs in an active lawsuit to
stop this development, have kept the trees standing, with an important
court judgment pending.  Green Cambridge is organizing this day of action
to help bring recognition and urgency to the work of the many courageous
individuals and groups who have been working for years to preserve this
important urban wild, including: Coalition to Preserve Belmont Uplands,
Friends of Alewife Reservation, Sustainable Arlington, the Belmont Citizens
Forum, First Parish Cambridge, First Parish in Arlington, Boston Sierra
Club, Lesley University, Mystic River Watershed Association, Belmont
Conservation Commission, and The City of Cambridge.

All are welcome to participate for all or any part of the day’s action.

Contact: president at greencambridge.org

<president at greencambridge.org>For more information:
http://friendsofalewifereservation.org/news.htm#forests
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