To the editor: My wife and I have been residents of North Adams for 20 years.
We have walked Bellows Pipe Trail with our dogs more times that we can count.
I disagree so much with the latest piece by Lauren Stevens ("At Notch Reservoir and beyond, we must be willing to risk short-term disruption for long-term climate gain," Eagle, Nov. 7) that it is difficult to know where to begin.
Yes, there is an edge to the protest over the proposed logging of Bellows Pipe Trail, a project that had been kept from the citizens of North Adams by City Hall until as late as possible. This is the kind of issue that requires input from as many concerned citizens as possible — perhaps something that could be the subject of a local referendum, if possible.
There are financial issues that haven't been properly explored. Culled wood will be sold. Logging companies are not doing this over concern of environment but to monetize existing resources while they can. Area roads will be damaged by logging operations. There is not much talk about who will pay to have those roads repaired. Will the citizens of North Adams or Williamstown?
There is also the issue of probable contamination of the city's water supply from the logging process since the trees to be logged are uphill and adjacent to the Notch Reservoir.
Mr. Stevens' column makes no mention of endangered species in the area and what logging means to their habitat.
Bellows Pipe Trail and the surrounding hiking trails draw tourists to the area who contribute to, not tax local resources.
Finally, I'd like to quote Dr. William Moomaw, professor emeritus of international environmental studies, on carbon sequestering: "Study after study concludes that bigger and older trees are disproportionally the best carbon sequestering trees. We can store twice as much carbon in uncut mature and older growth forests as we can in similar forest under rotational harvest." While preserving the forest for this and coming generations to marvel at and enjoy.
I urge you Lauren to come down from White Oaks or wherever, attend a meeting or two of the Friends of Notch Forest, and better inform yourself as to the goals of Mass Audubon forestry "experiment."
I don't know what the view is from where you are, but it appears you are unable to see the forest from the trees.
Daniel Spinella, North Adams
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