Dear Honorable Supervisors:
On behalf of the Just Within Reach Foundation, I would like to express support for keeping the 400-year old oak tree, referred to as “Old Glory,” standing in its original place and viable by urging Supervisor Antonovich and the County Public Works Department to modify the road plan for the proposed Newhall Ranch development, currently under consideration.
Just Within Reach is an environmental education organization, founded by musician and actor Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys). Our primary mission is to educate young people and their families on environmental issues and serve as a resource where they can receive information and practical examples for making a difference in their local environments and communities.
From our perspective, this issue is clearly an issue of economics as well as environmental preservation. But to kids, the environment and their safety and security in an ever-changing world is paramount. The children of the area and their counterparts in other neighborhoods want to keep the tree for the simplest of reasons – because it is the right thing to do. I would implore you to simplify this issue for yourselves by sharing the kids’ concerns and do the right thing. Developing a road plan that allows for a high-speed, six-lane freeway to snake through a community at the cost of degrading some of our last natural treasures is not the right thing to do, and it is not responsible to future generations.
There were a number of kids showing their support for John Quigley the evening he came down from “Old Glory,” and I had the opportunity to speak with them about how they felt about this issue. A 9-year-old boy named Jake assured me that there must be a way for the adults to find a good solution for this disagreement. His brother, Josh, a 12-year-old, said, “It’s plain out not fair because there are plenty of ways around this problem. Instead of making so many people upset, they should work to find a plan to make it work out for everyone.” Quite simply, the children are watching.
I encourage the Supervisors and the County Public Works Department to set an example for these kids and all kids who understand the impact of their environment, and work to adopt a road plan that supports the needs of the community while also protecting our natural assets such as “Old Glory” and the other groves of trees in the proposed development.
Modify the road plan with reduced speed and capacity specifications so that the alternative road designs that save “Old Glory” will meet county standards and preserve our natural heritage.
Sincerely,
Vicki Hanna
Director of Public Relations and Programming
Just Within Reach Foundation
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