To the Editor:
Recently I have become more aware of the immense amount of pine-tree death that is occurring around the Vineyard. My awareness is limited mostly to West Chop and Vineyard Haven, which have been hard-hit with tons of standing dead trees. I witnessed some that had fallen recently including on other people’s property, and began to have concerns about how the Vineyard is dealing with this issue. It seems like a growing widespread problem with potential dire consequences, as pine trees are highly flammable, and when they break and fall, may do damage, block driveways, and cause confusion about who and how this is dealt with. I’ve seen pine trees burn very hot and fast, incendiary-like, and thinking about Lahaina, Hawaii, wonder if the Island conservation commissions are taking a group stand on this, and whether the major conservation landholders are in alignment with each other to be proactive in dealing with this potential catastrophe. I would hate to think we are just going to wait till they fall, or worse, and deal with the consequences as the remedy to a problem that could have been better handled. I know the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation is taking a stand to provide a solution, and I think a collective approach to this issue with some public education would really be good.
Jim Feiner
Chilmark