November 13, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

85 1 Q And those are the study plots that you 2 referred to on Page 2 of your report. 3 A Yes. Assigning in those particular study plots we 4 did not find any trees below four inches in diameter in 5 the initial study in 2019. 6 Q Now, just for reference I’m referring when I 7 say report to the October 16th, 2024 report that Mr. 8 Defer submitted. Well, you say, though, that -- 9 A I have mine. 10 Q -- in August of 2024, you did find small 11 stands of trees ranging from one to two inches. 12 A Correct. That was a non-statistical walk through 13 study. 14 Q Now, so, in fact, you do show trees under 15 four inches. 16 A No. The study that was done in -- this study does 17 not find any trees under four inches. Can you reduce 18 that for me, Joe. Yes. This is from the original tree 19 study. This is a statistical analysis. 20 Q Hang on, before you go further. That’s 21 referring to the blue bar graph which also has the word 22 histogram, is that correct? 23 A Yeah, that’s correct. A histogram -- 24 Q Hang on one second, please. Mr. Chairman, 25 for reference, there are no page numbers, so I’m going 86 1 at this point describe the slide so we have a 2 reference. Now, when I say histogram page that would 3 -- you would understand I’m referring to the blue bar 4 graph page, correct? 5 A Correct. 6 Q Okay. Now, in that page it begins, the blue 7 bar graph, at four inches in diameter, is that correct? 8 A Correct. 9 Q Now, you said at the last meeting that there was 10 no study made of trees below four inches because 11 they’re not counted. Is that what you said? 12 A They were not counted in this study, nor were they 13 found. 14 Q Well -- 15 A There were observational, there’s observational 16 work within the tree report and there’s statistical 17 work. 18 Q Now, what do you -- 19 A The observation -- this is the 2019 study, this is 20 the original study, this is the only statistical 21 analysis because everything, obviously, if you think of 22 the year, this was relevant in 2019. Statistically, we 23 did not find any. In observational walkthroughs we did 24 find some saplings and seedlings growing. Not many, 25 but, we found some, and I was very pleased to see them. 87 1 Q Where did you document these saplings 2 growing? 3 A You read it. 4 Q No, do you have a map showing where they were 5 growing? 6 A No. As I said, the 2024 walkthrough was not a 7 statistical

m. 87 1 Q Where did you document these saplings 2 growing? 3 A You read it. 4 Q No, do you have a map showing where they were 5 growing? 6 A No. As I said, the 2024 walkthrough was not a 7 statistical analysis because the statistical analysis 8 was designed to look at the area of disturbance 9 fundamentally. I can’t tell you that when we saw the 10 seedlings in our secondary walkthrough that they were 11 absolutely in the area of disturbance. 12 Q Well, do you have any ability to tell us 13 where these stands of trees that shows trees one to two 14 inches were found? 15 A No, they were -- as I stated, we did an 16 observational, non-statistical analysis, we walked 17 through. If I walk through today I could find them 18 again, probably because I would stumble on them as we 19 did the first time, second time, sorry. 20 Q Do you have any notes showing were you found 21 this? 22 A No. It was an observational walkthrough which is 23 a simple, non-statistical subjective observational note 24 saying we saw them. 25 Q And we have no ability to know where they are 88 1 on the site. 2 A Specifically, not from what I did, no. 3 Q And, we have no ability to know how widely 4 distributed these stands of trees were, based on what 5 you presented. 6 A Based on our observational walkthrough we saw very 7 few stands of young trees, which is why in the 2019 8 study, we found none. 9 Q Well, actually, that’s not what you say in 10 your report. You say you found small stands of trees 11 ranging from one to two inches. 12 A That’s in the 2024 non-statistical, non-analytical 13 walkthrough. It was a subjective walkthrough. 14 Q You don’t say there was very few, you just 15 say you found small stands of trees ranging from one to 16 two inches, isn’t that correct? 17 A Well, I will clarify to you that what I mean by 18 that is there were very few. 19 Q So, in other words, as an environmental 20 scientist you clarify orally after you cross examine 21 but you don’t put your specific findings in the report, 22 is that what you’re saying? 23 A I’ll try to answer this again, The 2019 study is 24 the statistical analysis and what I stand by. The 2024 25 walkthrough was people asking has the forest changed.