To the editor:
A guiding principle of the Lynnfield Tree Committee is to educate townspeople about the value trees provide to our community.
With Lynnfield losing trees at an alarming rate, primarily due to development of subdivisions, the ongoing debate concerning the potential acquisition of the Richardson Green parcel should include thoughtful consideration of the environmental impact of this property.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation noted in its 2020 State Forest Action Plan that “the loss of forest results in the loss of all the benefits that forestland provides: reduction in ecological integrity, loss of habitat, and loss of carbon storage and potential climate resilience.”
The current focus should be expanded beyond the purchase price and long-term water issues to include other critical issues. The best direct benefit to the town will derive from transforming this parcel into a passive recreation area for the whole community to appreciate. We should not shortchange our future with a short-sighted, one-time sale.
Trees benefit our health in numerous ways, including directly by purifying the air we breathe. Studies have shown that trees help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives — to the tune of $6.8 billion in averted health costs annually in the U.S. Spending time in nature has been proven to enhance the immune system by increasing cells that kill virus and cancer cells. It has also been proven to decrease blood pressure, feelings of stress, increase attention, memory, self-esteem, and improve mood and compassion.
By intercepting particulate matter and absorbing gasses through their leaves, trees can prevent cases of acute respiratory symptoms.
Carbon sequestration from trees and plants is a key element in reducing the effects of climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has stated that one tree can absorb as much as 330 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. It is estimated that up to 525 tons of carbon dioxide is stored in the trees on Richardson Green.
The FAO has also described “large urban trees” as being “excellent filters for urban pollutants and fine particulates.”
The Richardson Green parcel is filled with healthy, mature native trees. It contains between 3,000 and 3,200 oaks and pines aged between 40 and 60 years. One study found that a single tree providing air conditioning, erosion control, wildlife shelter and air pollution reduction has a value of $273 over a 50-year lifespan. For this property, the ecological value is more than $875,000 and growing.
The Richardson Green parcel also benefits us in terms of groundwater and stormwater filtration. Based on Lynnfield’s average rainfall converted to gallons per acre, this parcel filters more than 30 million gallons of water annually.
The U.S. Forest Service reports that healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property’s value. Simply stated, affluent communities like Lynnfield have more trees. People are drawn to communities like Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Dover and Milton in part due to the pleasing aesthetic created by shady streets and a green canopy.
The latter towns have made a conscious effort in recognizing the economic impact that trees have on property values. Open space is valuable to all of us and unlike a new housing development where costs only increase, the initial cost of Richardson Green is fixed with minimal future expenditures limited to maintaining trails and supporting passive activities for multiple generations to treasure.
Preserving this parcel in perpetuity demonstrates to our children and future residents what we, as citizens of Lynnfield, value. All taxpayers have different opinions about how our money should be spent.
More than 60 percent of local households do not have children, yet the schools and field projects are overwhelmingly supported. We are moving forward with a new library because citizens recognize our library as a community resource and not just a place where books are stored. Preservation of Richardson Green will affect and benefit everyone. Will Lynnfield recognize that open space preservation is as valuable to us as new infrastructure?
As citizens, we have the responsibility to make informed and ethical choices regarding our collective health and well-being. Consult authoritative sources for information concerning forests and woodlands, as this is the last and only opportunity to salvage a parcel of this size and environmental value from future development.
For the interests of the people of Lynnfield to be better served, please support this purchase, talk with your neighbors, and share your concerns in preserving this unique property directly to Select Board members via email, or with our town administrator via telephone: 781-334-9410.
Lynnfield Tree Committee
