HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-25 Public Comment - J. Gildea - Save the TreesFrom:jlgildea
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Save the Trees
Date:Monday, April 21, 2025 1:27:40 PM
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I’m writing today on behalf of the voiceless—the wildlife that calls the Lamme, & Fowler,and all Bozeman Trees, home—and on behalf of the people who have walked amoung thrse
beautiful trees & trail for the last hundred years.
This path, lined with native cottonwood trees, and the Lamme Trees, are not just a place forrecreation. It is an irreplaceable part of our community, offering solace, history, and a
connection to nature that so many cherish. The decision to pave over this natural corridor infavor of a road disregards the voices of those who have fought to protect it! Why are those
who are supposed* to represent us, the residents, not the developers, being ignored? We arespeaking up consistently yet you ignore us. That is not what representatives were elected or
paid to do.
When these projects are first proposed, the community spoke up. Residents attended meetings,signed petitions, and made their opposition clear. And yet, instead of listening, it appears that
out-of-state developers’ interests took precedence over the people you were elected to serve!
To paraphrase Elon Musk, a society that lacks empathy is a society in decline. When leaders
take taxpayer money and use it for their own financial gain—ignoring the voices of theirconstituents, ignoring science, and dismissing evidence—they are behaving no differently than
tyrants and dictators. They abuse their power and betray the trust placed in them by the verypeople who elected them! It's happening at the smallest levels, this is where it starts, until it
grows to the National level. This is a big deal even though to you, appears to not matter at all.
You have a choice. You can listen to the people who live here, who walk this trail daily, whowant to preserve the beauty and integrity of this land and these trees. Or you can continue
down a path that erodes public trust and destroys what makes this community special. Andignore what your heart is telling you.
I urge you to do what is right. Honor the voices of your constituents. Protect this land for
future generations. Show us that our voices matter—that democracy at the local level is stillalive.
Because if our leaders refuse to listen, if they refuse to act with empathy and integrity, then
what hope do we have for our community, our state, or our planet?
Please vote with your heart and do what's best for people and planet. What we are begging youto do. Be a real man. We need you.
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