Don’t destroy forest for housing project | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 11:40 am Saturday, February 13, 2016

To the editor:

There is no question that we are in dire need of low income and affordable housing on Bainbridge. However, must it be at the expense of destroying a beautiful forest?

I have walked the entire Suzuki property. It is the last remaining mature forest in the downtown area with towering evergreens some well over 100 years old. It is the only opportunity for residents in that area to relax and enjoy a walk in tranquil surroundings.

There are a number of publications that have shown the value of urban forests in contributing to the health and welfare of local residents. Recently, it has also been shown that the diversity of bird species in the urban area depend greatly on the presence of mature forests.

The proposals presented will not save this stand of mature trees for the enjoyment of future generations. Surely, there are other areas where affordable housing would be more conducive to all without the destruction of a forest that would take generations to reach maturity after replanting. There are communities across the U.S. and elsewhere that believe that trees are important and are doing much to protect them.

Pavan Sukhdev (Project leader, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity), has aptly stated that, “As a society, we just got so entranced by this idea that value means market value. And we can’t seem to get over the fact that there’s a lot that’s valuable which doesn’t have a price. I hate the term ‘putting a price on nature,’ because there’s more than that. It’s more about valuing nature.”

OLAF K. RIBEIRO

Bainbridge Island