PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2021
We are pleased that we live in a city that “thinks globally, acts locally.” But we do not support the proposed tree-cutting ordinance before the South Portland City Council. The ordinance is a complex mess of rules and punishments, fees and mitigations. Our city government is supposed to do things for us, not to us. Let’s replace this ordinance with incentives and appreciation. Instead of hiring new staff to manage the ordinance, how about using that money to plant new trees? Why not incentivize the planting of trees with recognition and even a lottery? South Portland residents take pride in caring for their properties. We have not observed reckless destruction of trees by individual homeowners nor seen any data that prove this problem exists. Make a fun “more trees” effort citizens can feel pride in. Don’t create an expensive, punitive burden for us. ~ Robert and Jill Blackwood, South Portland