Silver Maple Forest Day of Action

A Silver Maple Forest day of action will take place at the Alewife MBTA Station and Acorn Park Drive on June 14th. Citizens of Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge will make known their concerns about a proposed dangerous, illegal wetlands development in the area. All are welcome to participate in a respectful and peaceful manner. Many local organizations, environmentalists and residents are greatly concerned about the impacts of a proposed housing development on the Belmont Uplands, a beautiful forested area within the greater Alewife ecosystem. The threatened forest connects with many acres of Cambridge wetlands, and is a rich wildlife corridor through Cambridge, Belmont and Arlington including the Little River that flows through the Route 16 greenway north to the Mystic River.

Concerns about the proposed development, which are well documented, range from traffic problems, garbage dumping, water quality and flooding in the Alewife area, to loss of open space, wildlife and habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. Clear-cutting most of the forest would be required to accommodate the proposed development. Replacing this largest and unique natural forest in the Boston area with condominiums would represent a critical loss of natural habitat to the area. Continuous appeals by the citizen based Belmont Coalition and Friends of Alewife Reservation, who are both plaintiffs in an active lawsuit to stop this development, have kept the trees standing, with an important court judgement pending. Green Cambridge is organizing this day of action to help bring recognition and urgency to the work of the many courageous individuals and groups who have been working for years to preserve this important urban wild, including: Coalition to Preserve Belmont Uplands, Friends of Alewife Reservation, Sustainable Arlington, the Belmont Citizens Forum, First Parish Cambridge, First Parish in Arlington, Boston Sierra Club, Lesley University, Mystic River Watershed Association, Belmont Conservation Commission, and The City of Cambridge.