Wetland impact: East Stream

One of the biggest concerns of the area will be the impact on wetlands by proposed future 'developments'.   For example, one of the streams which flows into a waterfall is faced by the threat of a Lowe's building.  The impact to this stream alone is highly likely to exceed the 5,000 sf max. allowance in Massachusetts for impact on wetlands.

According to documents, the Lowe's impact on wetlands is said to be "4,585 sf".  

Refer to ENF report for numbers: www.env.state.ma.us/mepa/mepadocs/2010/010610em/nps/enf/14532.pdf

Refer Salem Citizens website for drawings and numbers:  salemcitizens.org/issues/Lowes/Front%20End%20Charts.pdf 

The summary of BVW "A", "B" and "C" in the image below equals 4,585 sf.

However...

...as one studies the amount of wetland vegetation within these given boundaries and measures the drawings, the amount of wetland affected exceeds 5,000 sf by a great number.  In my own personal investigation of the drawings, I've taken a conservative measurement to find the bvw wetland alteration is minimally 7,170± sf (excluding 'bank' area, and expanded work in buffer areas).  Others have found these numbers to be higher.  

A big question (for me at least) remains.  Are the flags in the field correctly drawn in plan?  It is discovered that some of the flags have duplicate numbers, and some of the measurements between the flags were shorter in distance than shown on the plan.  Theoretically, if this is true, this could possibly mean that the stream in plan is extended at the thinner portion, causing the top thicker end of the stream on paper to be excluded from the calculations of the affected area?  This is only a question.  The only way for me to understand the conditions in the field is to have someone verify the locations of the flags with a handheld gps locator that has an inch or less tolerance, or other method of survey.  But this investigation for me is not extremely important as we already discovered, that by measuring the drawings, the wetland alterations exceed the allowable limit by a great amount.

To measure the drawings:

Print the drawing below to scale (using the scale bar as a reference) and measure by using a series of triangles to calculate the affected wetland flagged area.  Or import the drawing into a drawing program, using the scale bar as reference, and then trace over the affected area using a polygon tool, resulting in a calculation of the area.  Use the drawing below found on Salem Citizens website (click here).

Peace on

It is time to surrender at the shores of Spring Pond.  In a peaceful departure, a 30 foot high, wooden lion statue made from fallen trees, will be left as a favorable gift of charity to the developer, politicians of Salem, Wal-mart, Lowe's and the Lynn Lions (Camp Lion) to roll over the highest forested hilltops for all to admire in surrounding townships.


Stay tuned!.... When the sun sets, there will be some details posted on big arguments, a proposed project (expanded Wal-mart and Lowe's) faces.  There is much to share.


peace on

tropical rainforest interest?

Spring Pond Woods is not a tropical rain forest, but it does have many wetland areas.

Here is just an interesting fact about Lowe's... In the year 2000, The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), commended Lowe's for removing dowel's from the shelves, made from tropical rainforest wood in Indonesia.
 Link: http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/news/news.cgi?t=template&a=36

Six years later, in 2006, Lowes's was accused of making false environmental claims, as the company admitted a veneer product was coming from an unknown area in Papua, Indonesia, where a tropical rainforest is continuously under threat from illegal logging. The corporation, Lowe's could not prove the wood came from a legal source.
Link: http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0323-png.html

'Green' until caught 'red-handed'?
..........

Lowe's environmental policy today declares to protect the world's threatened forests.
Link:  http://www.naturalstrategies.com/lowes-virtual-press-kit.htm
'Spring Pond Woods' matter to Lowe's?

Turtle stones

Back in September of 2010, a researcher of Native American culture contacted me and shared an interesting aspect of tribal history.  He said the mystical symbolism of native art and story is partially representing a philosophy of life which derived from the turtle.  He asked if any of the stones here I came across resemble a turtle.  Since this inquiry, the thought and forms of turtles appear each time when passing a new site.  Maybe these stones are marvelous pieces of man-made art (a combination of natural glacial boulders, with added human touch), or maybe these are magentising natural forms of art?

There are 2 of these stone formations, in direct alignment.

This stone is in alignment with the one above.

There is a small flat stone placed on the bottom right side, hidden within the ground cover, which appears like a turtle's head.

This stone is not far from the other two, in a pool of water.

A stone appears in solid form.

The appearing geometrical face on this stone, is symmetrical on both sides.

There are several other boulders with smaller stones beneath, not shown.

Here are some interesting links on the Native American Turtle.
. www.turtletanks.org/native-american-turtle.html
. nativeamericanjewelrytips.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/native-american-symbols-turtle-and-tortoise/
. www.fema.gov/kids/turtle.htm


It has been said by many, these woods in the past were pillaged and filtered by visitors who collected an arrow each year while at camp, and there was an active archeological dig from a large and popular local museum, where artifacts were collected.  One cultural commissioner shared, that there is a book in this museum, which talks about a settlement at Spring Pond.  The museum today is not responding to requests, to see a list of the inventory collected from these woods.  Back in May of 2010, I was told by someone in the state of Massachusetts to "stop (my) research"...perhaps because Massachusetts treats Native American sites like Area-51, to prevent looting?  But the site from what I understand has already been looted, and if the people do not know about Native American sites, how can we stand to protect them?  Discouraged by the state, I contacted the Department of Interior, National Park Service on Native American culture, sharing photos of other, more obvious stones... and then a man phoned from the department to encourage me to continue the battle to protect this site.  And so the battle continues.


peace on

Lions Clubs International teams with Wal-mart

In a national campaign, The Lions Clubs International has teamed with Wal-mart to collect used glasses at Wal-mart stores across the country. A kiosk is found in stores, where glasses can be dropped off. The Lions Clubs International is now able to receive extensive advertisement and goods through Walmart's global market. In turn, Wal-mart and The Lions are able to demonstrate the good from these actions to the community. The Lions Clubs International website, further demonstrates a care for environment, through a tree planting campaign (in light of a policy made in 1972, to protect the environment. Link: http://lionsclubs.org/EN/member-center/planning-projects/sight/eyeglass-recycling/index.php.

A question to ask is, 'Do the board members of the Lions Clubs International care about the environment?' There are in fact many members around the world, doing good to protect the environment through individual programs.

Confusingly,
1.  The Lions Clubs International has not responded to the concerns here. A division of the organization, the Lynn Lions Club, District 33N, has created and is affiliated with Camp Lion that has sold and is further selling acres of wild woodland for the destruction to build a Wal-mart expansion and new Lowe's.

2. The Lions Clubs International has received notification of the issues, through certified letters, hundreds of letters from an online petition, including a notice of complaint filed to the Attorney Generals Office in Massachusetts on the Lynn Lions Club and Camp Lion of Lynn Mass (by myself and others)... Reiterating the club(s) mission statement, charter's policy to protect the environment, or Camp Lion's Declaration of Articles to 'maintain a wild woodland'.

3. The Lions Clubs International is aware of the issues and concerns of the community, to save this spat of undeveloped land.


By ignoring the issues here, and by teaming with Wal-mart, are the Lions Clubs International now indicating support for the destruction of these pristine woods and wetlands in Salem?...Rather than saying NO to the very corporations (like Wal-Mart) whose project proposes to destroy it!

One may ask, 'Who are the Lions Clubs International?' The organization's great works does reflect somehow in the millions raised in funds, which in turn are mostly sent offshore. *Refer to: Tax documents filed by Lions Clubs International.

News: Salem files motion on law suit & Somerville not quick to welcome Walmart

Salem files motion on Lynn law suit
July 24, 2011, By Chris Stevens for The Daily Item

Link:  http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2011/07/25/news/news05.prt


No red carpet for Walmart Market
Grocery store faces obstacles in Somerville
July 23, 2011, By Taryn Luna for The Boston Globe
http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-23/business/29807746_1_walmart-market-wal-mart-spokesman-steven-restivo-arkansas-retailer