How to Help TODAY

There are two big issues that the City Council will address in the next few weeks.

The Council approved an environmental assessment worksheet for all the related properties that make up the development in the Watten Ponds woods. The Council now says that it only applies to one property, the others are fair game. That's not a legal decision, and it's a bad idea - tear down half the forest, you hurt the rest. We need to have the Council reaffirm its original approval.

And second, the current Tree Preservation Policy has a huge loophole where projects that destroy any number of trees won't be reviewed by the City Council. That means residents never know about the destruction or have a chance to speak up until it's too late, and the decision is made by faceless bureaucrats rather than our elected officials. We need to close that loophole.

The best way is to reach out to the Council!

Copy and paste this

jlabadie@shorewoodmn.gov, ngorham@shorewoodmn.gov, dmaddy@shorewoodmn.gov, gsanschagrin@shorewoodmn.gov, mdigruttolo@shorewoodmn.gov

Subject: EAW and Tree Preservation Policy — please put these on an agenda

Dear Council Member,

I'm a Shorewood resident. I'm asking you to reaffirm that the environmental assessment worksheet for Watten Ponds covers all properties to be developed and not just one. That's what the petition said and that's what we need. And please vote to place the proposed Tree Preservation Policy amendment on a future Council agenda to require that any project removing more than five significant trees come to the Council with a written statement of which tree protection powers were considered.

I care about Shorewood's environment and want Shorewood to stay beautiful.

Thank you,

[your name]