Climate Cred/June 8
Patrick White for State Representative
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I conceived of and successfully championed our efforts to save the old growth forest, Ice Glen. Stockbridge was the first Berkshire town in ten years to win this award. Read old growth guru Bob Leverett's endorsement letter below.
In This Issue:
Climate Cred
Button Up!
Bob Leverett's Endorsement Letter
EMS/Ambulance Working Group: Cape Warnings
Climate Cred
When it comes to climate and the environment, I've spent years actually doing the work. Here's how.
- I served on the Stockbridge Conservation Commission.
- I spent five years as treasurer and then vice president of Stockbridge's land preservation nonprofit, the Laurel Hill Association.
- I managed the adoption by the town of the Municipal Vulnerabilities Preparedness climate program adoption.
- I worked with BRPC and the Housatonic Valley Association in their multi-town project to assess every culvert in town to prioritize their rightsizing for so they function as streams rather than impede wildlife.
- I wrote the climate section of the grant application that resulted in $2.4 million being awarded to our Mohican friends to preserve the 351 acres on the northern slope of Monument Mountain.
- I sit on the state's Community Climate Advisory Board, one of just three Berkshire County residents chosen for this with representation from the Berkshires to Provincetown.
- I successfully proposed the injection treatment of the old growth ash and hemlocks at Ice Glen, which every expert tells us saved all 50 ash from certain death, ash that are around 400 years old.
- I successfully proposed reviving both the Kampoosa Bog Stewardship Commission and the Agricultural and Forestry Commission. These efforts have contributed to Stockbridge being chosen by the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation for the honor of hosting the annual statewide conference to be held in October.
I've spent my entire life walking these woods and some of my earliest memories are climbing the rocks of Ice Glen. I care deeply about this beautiful little corner of the world we call home.
There's the old saying, "Think global. Act local." When it comes to protecting our natural resources, I've done just that.
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Here are my aspirational endorsements
President Lincoln with my button!
President Roosevelt with my button. Smiling!
John F. Kennedy!
Button Up
It sure would be nice to have had the endorsements of these leaders from beyond the grave. Below is a real endorsement from Bob Leverett, a legit expert at old growth forests. He was recently featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine. Take a moment to read what he had to say.
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Bob Leverett's Endorsement
This is the second time Bob has endorsed me. You can read both of his letters below.
Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest
106 Morningside Drive
Florence, MA 01062
To whom it may concern:
I would like to express my enthusiastic support for Patrick White of Stockbridge, MA in his running for State Representative. Patrick is a person of vision who I believe possesses the qualifications needed for the job of representative. My personal experience with him has been principally through the leadership role he took in protecting the forests of the historically and ecologically important town property of Ice Glen. In my role as cofounder and President of Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest I specialize in studying and protecting forests that contain the features found in the Ice Glen woodlands.
Patrick sought to quickly learn all he could about the significance of the old-growth status of that woodland and recognized it as a treasure along historical, ecological, aesthetic, and inspirational lines. He recognized and chose people with specialized knowledge about the Glen and some critical problems its trees faced. Many of the eastern hemlocks of Ice Glen, often exceeding 300 years in age, were suffering from an infestation of a tiny insect from eastern Asia known as the hemlock woolly adelgid. A second alien pest, the emerald ash borer, was attacking the Glen’s white ash trees. Both species reach significant size and age within that property. In impressiveness, these two species equal or surpass all others on similar sized properties in Massachusetts.
Of critical importance, Patrick helped to secure economical treatment for the hemlocks and ash trees, saving them from certain death, and in so doing, ensuring the Glen’s continued important role as a true botanical treasure not only to Stockbridge, but all Massachusetts.
From my interactions with Patrick, I believe he possesses the right combination of vision, managerial skills, and political savvy to make an excellent state representative.
Yours truly
Robert T. Leverett
President, Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest
Chair, Mass DCR Forest Reserve Science Advisory Committee
Cofounder, Native Tree Society
Bob's cover story from Smithsonian Magazine.
Last year's letter when I was chair of the Stockbridge Select Board.
Good Afternoon to All,
My name is Robert T. Leverett. Below are some of my credits.
- Cofounder of the Native Tree Society
- County coordinator for the Old-Growth Forest Network
- Senior advisor to American Forests on the National Champion Tree Program
- Coauthor of the Sierra Guide to Ancient Forests of the Northeast
- Chair of Massachusetts DCR's Forest Reserves Science Advisory Committee
- Cofounder and President, Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest
I'd like to call to your attention to the leadership role of Patrick White, Chair, Board of Selectmen for Stockbridge, in championing the old growth in Ice Glen and securing recognition and getting treatment for the ancient hemlocks and mature white ash trees there. As you all may know, the Glen is a priceless ecological relict of forests past with historical ties to the Mohican Nation and even literary figures like Herman Melville. Over the years, we've carefully mapped out the areas of old growth and mature second growth and I will attest that both are exceptional natural resources of which we can be proud. However, our remaining isolated forested gems like Ice Glen don't protect themselves. They are always vulnerable to direct and indirect negative influences, often of human origin. Alien invasives like the hemlock wooley adelgid, elongate hemlock scale, and the emerald ash borer and native pests like hemlock looper represented terminal threats to the Glen's trees that have live between 200 and 400 years. Treating them was not an option, but we needed a leader, and Patrick White rose to the occasion.
Over the course of 30 years, I've taken many groups and individuals through the Glen on interpretive walks. Also while gathering data, e.g. measuring a tree, people have stopped and inquired to what I was seeing or doing. When I explained to them what a special forest Ice Glen possessed, I could see their faces light up and often one or more would state that they always knew the place was truly special. But then came the insect pests and the days were numbered for those ancient trees. Time to save them was limited. A leader was needed and Patrick White proved to be that person. All of us who value these original forest remnants are grateful to Patrick and want to call everyone's attention to his leadership in saving the ancient trees of the Glen.
Best to all of you,
Bob Leverett
Bob and I a few years back in a Berkshire forest.
EMS/Ambulance Working Group: Cape Warnings
Smitty hosted a great meeting of the working group tackling the challenges of EMS and ambulance service. Thanks to all who took the time to brainstorm. A solid plan of action is emerging.
I found an interesting article on what's going on with public safety on the Cape, Response delayed? Cape Cod housing prices push police, firefighters farther away.
As the Cape has seen, these issues are all interrelated. This is the problem we must avoid in the Berkshires. What's happened on the Cape over the last 20 years is a case study in the risks we face here at home.
Housing Prices are impacting emergency services on the Cape.
Want to Learn More?
Please consider supporting my candidacy to represent you in the State House. To learn more, visit https://www.patrickwhiteberkshires.com
You can donate by clicking here:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/patrick-3rd
Or you can mail a check to:
Patrick Thomas White Committee
81 Hawthorne Street
Lenox, MA 01240
I've reached about 35% of my goal. Thanks for any help you can provide. I am in it to win it and am running to effect real change. I'd love to have your support.
Warmly,
Patrick White
PS: You can find detailed positions on my campaign website:
https://www.patrickwhiteberkshires.com
Previous Notes
Week ending 6/1/2024
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Week ending 5/24/2024
Lessons from Wyoming. read more
Week ending 5/17/2024
The Politics of Water. read more
Week ending 5/10/2024
Paul Revere and Smitty Pignatelli. read more
Week ending 5/3/2024
Fixing Assessments, Aging in Place, EMS. read more
Week ending 4/26/2024
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Week ending 3/1/2024
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