We the undersigned urge the Community Preservation Act Committee and the Newton City Council to approve Mayor Fuller’s proposal to acquire wooded land owned by Boston College.

The property in question is a large parcel of land once owned by the Mishkan Tefila temple, on Hammond Pond Parkway, that bisects the Webster Woods, the largest continuous tract of forest left in Newton.  The City owns wooded land directly to the north of this parcel; the state Department of Conservation owns land directly to the south.  This parcel is an inseparable part of the woods, with many trails that link to adjacent publicly owned forestland, and it includes a beautiful and environmentally sensitive vernal pool.

The Webster Woods are an irreplaceable resource, a peaceful refuge for anyone who wants to walk its trails and listen to birds surrounded by trees and rock ledges.  In increasingly unstable times, the Webster Woods offer the deeply steadying presence of the natural world.

If that property were to be developed by Boston College, there would likely be irreparable harm to the woods, the vernal pool, and to the quiet, recreational opportunities that these woods offer all Newton residents and others.

Many of us have tried to explain the importance of protecting the planet from climate change to our children. We have a chance to show them what protection looks like right now by saving our own Webster Woods, and defending a great Newton resource.