Greetings!
Many environmental organizations, state officials, and other experts
have expressed, and continue to express, their concerns about
developing the Ethel Walker Land. Fortunately, with the Trust for
Public Land involved and negotiating for the property, EWS has the
option to yield significant monies for preserving it and thus avoid the
complications of development.
A recent letter to the editor in the Hartford Courant commented
specifically on the Ethel Walker development proposal. Kirt
Mayland of the national organization Trout Unlimited is keenly aware of
the impacts of a subdivision throughout a woodland with sensitive
wetlands and streams. Trout are the "canary in the coal mine" for
environmental degradation and a major indicator of water quality.
The following are some quotes from Mr. Mayland's letter.
"The effect of this development on the fragile Stratton Brook watershed . . . would be devastating and permanent."
"Recent studies show that human impact (lawns, pavement, homes and so
forth) of this size leads to extirpation of wild brook trout, the
state's only native trout and an emerging indicator of a steady
deterioration in the state's rivers and streams."
"Natural assets such as the Stratton Brook watershed should be
protected and preserved for future students, town residents and
wildlife alike, and not manipulated and sold in a financial
marketplace."
"Schools should serve as models for their impressionable students,
demonstrating careful environmental stewardship at both a local and
global level. A school, whose board and alumni ranks includes the who's
who of corporate America, clearly has numerous other options to
increase its endowment. It should not take out its past fundraising
failures on the wild brook trout, white-tailed deer or the countless
other species that rely on this unique watershed for survival."
Read the full letter here.
We want the school to realize the maximum dollars that can be assemble,
and we know the money is out there. If you know of any
foundations or organizations who support land acquisition, drinking
water protection, environmental education, equestrian activities, etc.
please forward them to Mary Nemerov at the Trust for Public Land (Mary.Nemerov@tpl.org). Individual donations for this preservation effort can be made directly to TPL by using this
form (a Word DOC file). Detailed instructions are available here.
Wishing you a New Year with Personal, Financial, and Environmental Successes!!
Preservation is the Best Option.
www.keepthewoods.org