To The Editor:
I find myself wondering if anyone has noticed the insensitive new policy I’ve been sadly observing throughout The Valley and the state (is it an administration policy, a power company policy – just who authorized it?). The tree butchers are here and they have been painfully active and unrelenting for a long while. They now clear cut our rural roadsides, villages as well, destroying beautiful trees both old and new. It is no longer an occasional pruning or repair, as in the past. They now leave our scenic historic roadways sad and bleak. (Our towns just chip in with their brutal hydraulic brush hog policy and their failure to replace key dying and damaged old trees.)
Many folks have been hard at work studying the economy of our Valley and how to improve it. It would seem to be clear, of course, that we have a visitor and second-home dependent economy and our primary asset, far and away, is the beauty and historic charm of The Valley. That beauty, both natural and built, is unique and highly valued but fragile. The folks it attracts are the lifeblood of The Valley. It is also the basis of our quality of life.
Shouldn’t folks be asking our town leaders and boards to speak up and work to protect The Valley resources? We need to be planting trees, not destroying them. We all know there are power rights of way, but these are our towns and this is our life. This is where we have chosen to raise our families. There are towns throughout the country that treasure and protect their streetscape trees and we should be able to as well. We have state statutes protecting important trees. We have hardworking tree wardens and tree boards. We need to pull together and protect our Valley.
Gregory and Carolynn Schipa
Warren
