![]() ![]() It would take approximately 100 years for replanted trees to mature into an old-growth forest again. Thus, even though there is an existing hockey rink ten minutes away from the school, and they could certainly find alternatives on a temporary basis for the loss of athletic fields, the Committee decided that their wants and desires override the needs of rare and endangered species to have a livable habitat, and override the irreplaceable environmental benefits of a virgin forest.Īs you most likely know, untouched old-growth forests exhibit a number of important properties that younger, disturbed forests cannot match. The district gains additional athletic fields with this option and maintains the potential of reserving the current football field/track for future development as a hockey rink.” Source: Preferred Schematic Report – 3.3.1 Final Evaluation of Alternatives – Dec 21, 2020. “The location of the new school allows construction to occur with the least amount of disruption to the existing school of any option. It sounds like – although all three drafted designs (options C1, C2, and C3) were designed to accommodate 1600 students in a 383,000 square foot building space – one of the main reasons the Northeast School Building Committee decided on the costlier option to clear cut 13.5 acres of pristine virgin forest was so they would not disrupt the current athletic fields during construction, and to allow for a future hockey rink: 7) that site C2 (baseball/football field location) was acceptable but had been removed from consideration by the Project team (not by the MSBA). The forested site is property owned by the school district – it was transferred from Breakheart Reservation to serve as a buffer between the Voke grounds and the reservation.Ī SAVE the Forest and BUILD the Voke Facebook entry on Februhighlighted that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) noted in their Februmeeting minutes (p. ![]() The forest is home to Hentz’s Red-bellied Tiger Beetle and a previously undocumented population of Eastern Whip-poor-will, a nocturnal bird whose habitat is being lost to development. The construction plan of the “Voke” involves the partial destruction of the nearby Breakheart-Hill Forest, a cherished 13.5-acre spot known as home to some rare and endangered species with vernal pools and wetlands and a migratory forest for birds. Increases in flooding and storm water flows.Impairment of Wetlands and associated Buffer Zones.Destruction of core forest and rare species habitat and native soils.Destruction of Native American Cultural sites.Extensive land alteration including deforestation of >2000 trees.Therefore, it is incumbent upon each of us to protect and preserve the forests in our neighborhoods for wildlife, for us, for our children, and for future generations.” The environmental impact of the current site plan for the “Voke,” per Friends of Wakefield’s Northeast Metro Tech Forest, would be as follows: “We and our children are facing grave challenges in real time – global warming, loss of forests and native habitats, declining populations of birds, arthropods, and overall biodiversity. The current site will include over 100 concrete steps to ascend the 60-foot elevation of the hilltop site, with a 735 foot ADA-compliant, yet potentially dangerous and uncovered handicap ramp.Īs the Friends of Wakefield’s Northeast Metro Tech Forest () so aptly described, the beautiful and pristine NEMT forest, with its unique biodiversity is at risk. I am writing today to ask what can be done to halt the senseless clear cutting of 13.5 acres of rare virgin forest to make way for a new Northeast Vocational High School building in Wakefield, MA, when there are other viable options available that are less costly, far more environmentally friendly, and more considerate of the needs of the disabled. From: Sherri Carlson, Wakefield MA residentĬc: Maura Healy, Governor, Friends of Wakefield’s Northeast Metro Tech Forest, SAVE the Forest and BUILD the Voke, and Mary Judge, Wakefield MA resident ![]()
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