ANS Will “Watchdog” Purple Line Development

“Mourns loss of forest that mitigates climate change and pollution”

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Chevy Chase, MD – In response to news that the Purple Line developers broke ground this week, Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS) Executive Director Lisa Alexander issued the following statement:

“The Purple Line is not as Deep Green as it could be. Thus, we mourn the loss of trees along the Capital Crescent Trail that have provided vital habitat for native wildlife and shade for runners, walkers, and bikers. These trees also absorb water that flows off our streets and roofs during storms, protecting Rock Creek and other tributaries from the pollution carried in that stormwater runoff. An equally important benefit of the forest canopy is that it helps mitigate climate change.

 “During construction, we will continue to watchdog the project to verify that it meets all of its permit terms. We’ll watch to see that the project invests mitigation dollars to authentically replace the ecosystem services that will be lost and disrupted by tree removal. We will press to make sure that mitigation happens as close as possible to the affected areas. 

“As difficult as the tree loss is, we don’t oppose the Purple Line.  We must encourage people to live and work close to transit instead of in developments that create sprawl, snarl traffic and devour open space.”

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ANS is the oldest, independent environmental organization in the DMV.  Throughout its history, ANS has played a pivotal role in conserving our region’s iconic natural places from development including the C&O Canal, Dyke Marsh and most recently Ten Mile Creek. Past ANS member and board president, Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, is credited with launching the now global environmental movement. ANS’s nature experts provide hundreds of opportunities each year for children and adults to enjoy, learn about, and protect the environment.

 Learn more about ANS here: www.anshome.orgwww.Facebook.com/Audubon Naturalist SocietyNaturalistSociety, and www.Twitter.com/ANStweets