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To the mayor and staff of the City of Somerville,

We recently  posted a petition online (https://www.change.org/p/strip-somerville-ma-of-its-tree-city-usa-status) asking the Arbor Day Foundation to strip Somerville of our “Tree City USA” status, and to withhold future awards until the city makes substantial, lasting, effective changes to the management of our urban canopy.

We thought deeply before taking this action. We are aware that this sort of public action can create lasting barriers to trust and collaboration. That would be a loss and a shame. Our hope is that this increased publicity will bring us together as a city to address a pressing and urgent issue.

We have been sounding the alarm (https://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/85808) on the catastrophic loss of Somerville’s trees throughout 2018. We are choosing to increase public attention on this issue since weeks and months have passed with little measurable progress.

We have been consistent on the priorities below in both public and private meetings over the last year. We are committed to open, honest, transparent reporting on this issue both now and in the future.

We hope that 2019 will be a turning point for us to work together in a new and effective way.

OUR REQUESTS

_Bring together the applicants for the Urban Forestry Committee: _Whether this constitutes formal meetings of a city committee, or merely shows city support for an interest group, there is a critical need for a sustained citywide conversation that includes both residents and city staff. We want very much for city staff to assume their natural role as leaders, facilitators, and conveners of this group.

_Set aggressive citywide metrics and goals to stop the loss and begin to rebuild: _“Net Zero” is an unambiguous, aggressive and powerful statement. We need to apply this kind of thinking to our tree population, citywide. The current approach treats trees differently based on whether they stand in a public way, by a rail bed, in a park, or on private property. This fragmentation is one reason that the catastrophic losses of 2018 were such a surprise. Instead, we should develop a holistic plan that sets aggressive citywide goals for decades to come and tracks them with common metrics, starting this year.

_Approach our trees with a holistic view of their role in the environment: _Hire a second arborist with expertise in tree management specific to New England’s climate, who has a commitment to working in a connected ecosystem, and who understands the importance of bringing back our native flora and fauna. As we create a tree management plan, take an integrated approach that includes trees and other plants, animals including human beings, and balances livability, climate impact, and other civic goals.

_Engage the community: _Bring the consultant-led tree inventory to a close. In its place, build a sustainable program that involves resident and student volunteers who can track and care for our urban forest on an ongoing basis. Create a program of notable trees, and commit to providing protections for the most important of these.

We are passionate and committed to saving what remains of our city’s mature tree population, and to rebuilding what has been lost. We would like to start immediately.

We would like to do it in collaboration with each of you.

SINCERELY,

Chris Dwan, Somerville’s Friends of the Urban Forest (somfuf@gmail.com)

Renée Scott, Green and Open Somerville (greenopensomerville@gmail.com)