It's time for ecological land care in Somerville

Somerville has created legislation and plans that show an interest in planting, caring for, and using our green spaces in ways that support a healthy environment. However, these measures often address isolated issues rather than incorporate major ecological stressors. For example, invasive plants, if unmanaged, rapidly undermine or entirely negate intended outcomes; recent city-led plantings overrun by invasives within a single season highlight the speed of the problem and the resulting financial waste. Many ordinances and plans are nonbinding in practice, with little to no monitoring or measurement of progress. The current approach fails to treat Somerville as a connected ecosystem, where actions in one area influence ecological conditions citywide. Until we think about and care for our natural green spaces holistically, individual ordinances and plans have little effect on ecosystem health and are not cost-effective. 

Green & Open Somerville advocates have written a detailed plan to transform how we care for our natural environment, which directly impacts all inhabitants of Somerville, from microorganisms living in soil, to insects pollinating our plants, to raptors keeping our rodent population in check, and to humans. It will save us money and time, decrease our carbon output, and make Somerville healthier for all inhabitants. It will also meaningfully address the Commonwealth's Biodiversity Conservation goals.

We are trying to get the Wilson administration to take this seriously and implement it.

You can read the document here. We'd love to hear your thoughts.