November 13, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

133 1 or not there are any other species of concern on 2 plants or animals on site. But, I say that as an 3 environmental scientist, I look holistically at the 4 property, wildlife, at all. I am looking to see what 5 the general impacts are of anything on the property. 6 First, looking at this property, and based on 7 my observations and on the tree study, but on my 8 observations as well, I can see that it’s an unhealthy 9 wildlife habitat simply because there is very little 10 variation or under story growth. To have a healthy 11 wildlife habitat you need to have multiple tiers of 12 growth. You need ground growth, you need under story 13 growth, you need shrubs which are under stories, small 14 trees and large trees, a greater the variety of plants 15 on the property, when I look at a forest, I look at the 16 variation of plants. Yes, I have variations of the 17 species, but the answer to the question you asked was 18 an answer to a question of what is the difference 19 between a forester or an arborist would look at or a 20 tree expert would look at compared to what an 21 environmental scientist or ecologist might look at on a 22 property. 23 And as I was explaining that at that time or 24 trying to explain that an arborist or a forester or a 25 tree expert is looking at a very simple -- I’m going to 134 1 rephrase that, that’s not fair, in a much more myopic 2 view. Yes, do they take into account that there are 3 other issues within that forest? Certainly. But, they 4 don’t look at it for that reason. They all have 5 different charges for different components. I was 6 explaining that, that’s where that answer comes from. 7 In my case when I look at a forest, I am 8 looking at it and saying, for the way I was trained, 9 hey, is this forest healthy for all things living 10 there? My answer in this forest is no. 11 Q Well, you told us your holistic approach 12 means you look at birds, plants, everything. Fair to 13 say you didn’t look at wildlife at all, isn’t that 14 true? 15 A No. What is fair to say is I did not do any sort 16 of analysis about wildlife on the property. I made 17 observational changes, observational -- I made 18 observations, sorry, on the property and your 19 conclusion is predicated on my experience of what a 20 healthy forest should be in the way of life. 21 Q As to wildlife the only observation you 22 reported to the Board was that

property and your 19 conclusion is predicated on my experience of what a 20 healthy forest should be in the way of life. 21 Q As to wildlife the only observation you 22 reported to the Board was that there was seven to ten 23 deer that you say, isn’t that correct? 24 A Statistically, there is no data given to the 25 Board, all I stated to the Board was in the one day we 135 1 happened to see seven to ten deer. I did not do a 2 statistical wildlife analysis on this property. 3 Q I simply asked, aside from saying you saw 4 seven to ten deer on the site, you offered no other 5 information about wildlife on the property, isn’t that 6 correct? 7 A I did not offer a wildlife analysis on this 8 property. I was not charged with doing so. 9 Q Data, do you have in terms of the damage to 10 the deer fence, some other sites to the fence, the tree 11 fells and related matters? 12 A I don’t have specific data on that. 13 MR. AFRAN: I just need a moment to 14 speak to my colleague for a second. 15 Q I’d like to talk to you about the tree 16 species that you identified on the site. 17 A Okay. 18 Q You identified some of them in your report at 19 Item 3 on Page 2, oak, several species of oak, rather, 20 maple, hickory, flowering dogwood, sassafras, American 21 beech, black cherry. Are there any others that you’ve 22 identified on the site? Is there another chart that 23 contains that? 24 A In the original tree study there were a number of 25 other species identified. We just didn’t -- we weren’t 136 1 asked to do an identification, they were observed but, 2 we had a number of others that were there that were 3 greater than four inches in diameter. We observed, I 4 think you said red maple or red (indiscernible), you 5 did, right? 6 Q You said maple, in general. 7 A Okay. We observed red maple, black birch, I’m 8 using the common language, proper names not Latin. 9 Pignut hickory, a shagbark hickory, mockernut hickory, 10 American beech, green ash, tulip, black oak, white oak, 11 chestnut oak, red oak, black oak and sassafras which I 12 think you did mention, in that site. Those were the 13 ones we just happened to observe. There might be 14 other, but that would be a good mix of what’s in that 15 property. Some of those are wetlands species, some of 16 them are not. 17 Q Well, so, you -- there were a few that you 18 did not include. The tulip, black gum and -- tulip and 19

of what’s in that 15 property. Some of those are wetlands species, some of 16 them are not. 17 Q Well, so, you -- there were a few that you 18 did not include. The tulip, black gum and -- tulip and 19 black gum for example. 20 Now, in terms of these species, in terms of 21 the large trees you’ve seen, 24 to 36 inches, what is 22 the average linesman of these trees? 23 A Everyone of these trees has a different linesman. 24 Oaks could, a white oak, the oldest living one that was 25 recently cut down that I know of, was 250 years old.