“This intervention, disguised under the pretext of a “restyling”, will involve the resurfacing of the road surface, the widening of the pavements and the creation of a cycle path up to the coast. However, it is unacceptable that these actions must necessarily imply the destruction of the existing arboreal ecosystem. Is it possible that sustainable pedestrian mobility should be conceived in contrast with urban greenery?”
“The justifications offered by the Administration, which tries to hide its havoc behind the vague need to promote cycle mobility and pedestrian accessibility, are nothing more than an unlikely basis to justify a short-sighted policy that is harmful to the environment.
Redevelopment solutions should primarily contemplate the conservation and enhancement of the city’s green heritage, rather than sacrificing it on the altar of so-called “modernization”.
Urban trees play a vital multifunctional role: they regulate the microclimate, mitigate the heat island effect, improve air quality by breaking down carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, increase atmospheric oxygenation, promote biodiversity and contribute to soil stability, supporting healthy and resilient urban ecosystems, as well as enhancing the urban landscape and increasing the value of real estate assets. And it is unacceptable to think that these fundamental functions can be replaced by replanting, since the complex ecosystem of a mature tree cannot be compared to that of a young specimen, for which it takes years before reaching the complete maturation necessary to carry out its ecological functions fully.
Why, therefore, should structural sustainable mobility interventions, financed through the PNRR to respond to climate change, paradoxically come into conflict with the conservation of the precious urban green heritage, both essential to guarantee an ecologically healthy and sustainable future?
Why, despite the concerns regarding the danger of trees for public safety, has not yet been launched an in-depth investigation of all the existing arboreal heritage through a GIS census with related analysis of the static nature of the trees? This approach would be more rational and effective than the summary assessments conducted with the VTA only on the occasion of urban redevelopment interventions, which often end with the sentence of “death of the tree”. Otherwise we would have had a tool to monitor the health status of the tree species present in the area by implementing care interventions, alternatives to felling, before accidental falls or sudden uprootings occur which entail risks, as well as social and environmental costs to the community .
We await with great interest to know the tree balance in the Mayor’s five-year budget, which should clarify where the felled plants have been replanted and whether adequate compensation has been guaranteed for the approximately 150 plants felled in the former Fea area. We also ask for the rigorous application of the law of 29 January 1992 number 113, which imposes on municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants the obligation to plant a new tree for every new born or adopted child. Therefore, we would like to know if, with respect to the new born/adopted, trees were planted during his five-year mandate and where. We have repeatedly called for the establishment of a registry of planted trees, as well as the possibility of identifying monumental trees for which to initiate recognition for the purposes of their conservation and protection, but none of this has happened.
Administrators are called to make responsible choices, considering that the funding derives precisely from the purpose of promoting environmental protection and combating climate change. Decisions made today will have a lasting impact on future generations, and therefore it is crucial that they are made with the utmost care and commitment to ensure a sustainable future for all.
I hope that citizens, well aware of the attention paid to the environment and the protection of our green heritage, are ready to join us in promoting a more sustainable and respectful future of the urban ecosystem for Montesilvano.”
