Aaron, if you could forward this note to the people you'd emailed about Clark Park, I'd appreciate it. I don't feel right about spamming so many strangers and dragging them into an argument.
Aaron Birk wrote: "The North End of Clark Park is going to be clear-cut in the next day or so. There is now a chain-link construction fence preventing anyone from setting foot in the park. 80% of the trees, many young, are marked with white spray-paint X's, which is Fairmount Park Speak for "Removal." m over 41 different species and about 300 specimins, The Park is home to a a stable and generous canopy of northeastern deciduous trees. Plans and Discussion for renovation of the park has been underway for years, with over dozen community groups (see below) involved in the process. I certainly didn't get the memo and may indeed be knee-jerking just a little too late. The Friends of Clark Park website mentions a new playground, new chess tables, and new benches, but there are no words on tree removal. A lot of groups are behind this "renovation," including University City District and Dep of Recreation." There's a lot that's just wrong about this, beginning with the phrase "clear-cut." Clear-cutting is what loggers do to strip forests to bare earth. That's like saying we're going to napalm the place. Only 24 trees have been marked for removal in Park A. Many are simply old trees nearing the ends of their life cycles. Others are invasive species, such as Norway Maples, whose surface roots retard grass growth and interfere with the other trees. Some are simply too close to other trees, and some are diseased or have structural problems. These trees were selected for removal after consultation with arborists from the Morris Arboretum. And preserving the tree canopy was one of the most important goals we had. I'd like to remind everyone that, over the last eight years or so, the Friends of Clark Park has planted more than a hundred trees, mostly in the middle park. And we plan on planting even more trees after the renovation of the north park's completed. Again, in consultation with the Morris Arboretum, we plan to plant an even wider range of species. The plans don't exactly offer a new playground and chess tables. The paths will be rearranged, to reduce the concrete and increase green space. The central plaza will be moved, and covered with coarse gravel rather than concrete to allow for water retention. We hope to install chess tables, but only after the chess players return and work out how they want them arranged; for now, we plan moveable tables and chairs. But your comment about "not getting the memo" is a bit frustrating. We've been planning this for almost a decade. The overall Revitalization Plan has been on our website for years. We've held several public meetings about these particular plans, and we've posted _videos_ of these meetings on our website. And yes, these include discussions of the tree removals. Most Saturdays in September, we've had a T-shirt table out at the Farmer's Markets, with a sign displaying the plans for Park A. If someone "didn't get the memo," it's not because of our lack of trying. Brian Siano Vice-President Friends of Clark Park. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
