To the Editor:

I appreciate the Editor’s summary of the Eversource clear-cutting issue in last week’s paper. We citizens supported our elected officials in their efforts to penalize via PURA the electric utilities like Eversource for the slow restoration of power after recent severe weather events. The Editor posed in essence the question as to how we can accommodate the aesthetic and environmental desires of many and provide reliable power for everyone.

You can’t unless you have some new collaboration or innovation, preferably both.

Resiliency is not just a tree issue, as we continue to invest and compensate utilities for infrastructure that is susceptible to wind and ice events. I leave that status quo issue to others to debate but want to suggest perhaps some mitigation efforts relative to the current tree removal blitz.

Imagine if through PURA that electric utility rate cases provided funding to supply native plants like dogwoods, cherry, redbuds and other smaller native tree and shrub species to replace the void left by utilities clear-cutting of large problem trees plus other plants their contractors are clipping. These smaller native species do not present the same long-term threat that larger tree species now present to the existing power infrastructure.

Imagine driving along our Town and State roads with these native species blooming in the Spring. Newtown and Connecticut might become as popular in April as it is in October for citizens and visitors to see the State’s trees. These plants would help the environment and support local food webs for all animal tiers. These plantings would also help retard invasive plant species from filling the void left by the clear-cutting program, reduce erosion, and help lessen the thermal pollution impacting our local streams.

Perhaps also as part of such funding the State Department of Agriculture can work with state farmers and nurseries to produce the native plants. It would take several years to ramp up production of the nursery stock needed to replant the thousands of miles of right-of-way that will eventually be impacted. Groups like the Newtown Forest Association and other conservation minded groups and residents if provided the plants can then restore the flora on their property and make Newtown and our State even “Nicer”.

I hope that you agree that protecting our environmental heritage is worth thinking and talking about; and hopefully worth working to restore. Environmental resiliency is important too. Again, thanks for your editorial piece on this issue.

Respectfully yours,

James Walker

Newtown