It has been a long haul but we are just days away from May 9th, when the Ten Residents will present their Appeal of the Massachusetts DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) decision at an adjudicatory Hearing. This Hearing will be presided over by an Officer of the OADR (Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution).
While not a "trial" per se, this all day administrative hearing will have witnesses and examinations. A few weeks after the hearing, the Presiding Officer will render her decision based on the pre-trial submissions and the evidence and arguments presented in the hearing.
The Residents’ appeal asserts that DEP did not enforce the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (WPA) when it overturned the Wakefield Conservation Commission’s denial of the Northeast Metro Tech (NEMT) building project plans.
The remaining forested wetlands at NEMT are threatened with certain destruction, particularly if the proposed access road is constructed through the wetlands habitat. Today, the wetlands are temporarily protected while the Appeal is underway before OADR.
The Friends of Wakefield’s NEMT Forest, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, formed in 2022 to support scientific study of and public education about the NEMT forest, is raising funds to pay for the expert analysis of the impact of the proposed plans on both the wetlands and the natural stormwater management functions of the site. These studies of the site have identified numerous ways that the proposed work around the wetlands does not comply with the state’s Wetlands Protection Act and will jeopardize the wetlands’ ability to survive and support life. The analyses provide essential facts and expert opinions to the Ten Residents’ appeal, which we believe will raise awareness and strongly impact how DEP conducts its evaluations going forward for future projects.
So, today our goal is to raise $8,500 in NEW funds for this purpose- to fund the expert scientific evidence supporting the Ten Residents' appeal.
If you would like a donation receipt for a donation made to this GoFundMe, please email advocacy@nemtforest.org and include your name, mailing address, and date and amount of donation.
Donations may also be made by check, made out to Friends of Wakefield’s NEMT Forest and sent to:
Friends of Wakefield’s NEMT Forest
PO Box 2013
Wakefield, MA, 01880
You can also visit our online fundraising auction, this week May 3rd-11th. We are auctioning more than 40 items including vintage pieces, original art, local interest and collectible items, sports items and unique services donated by supporters of the NEMT forest. Hosted on BiddingOwl.com.
https://new.biddingowl.com/savetheforest
Thank you for caring about this forest and wetlands, and for your concern for protecting local natural resources and ecosystems today and for future generations. We are grateful to each of you who has followed these efforts.