Opinion: Tree cutting on Onset Bluffs is wrong

Nov 3, 2021

To the Editor:

On Sunday, October 17, I was walking along the bluff at Hotel St. on Onset Beach and I noticed some trees freshly cut down lying across the stairs leading down to the beach.  As I looked more closely,

it was apparent that they were saw-cut, clearly not done by weather or age.

It bothered me, this vandalistic destruction of public property. It is not like this has not happened before on the bluff at Onset.

I decided to alert the authorities of this defacement.  

On Tuesday, October 19, I traveled to the Select Board office, Police Department, Department of Public Works, Harbormaster and the Department of Conservation. I described what I had seen. Evidently,

nobody had any knowledge of this deed.I was asked, "If I knew who did it?" and I said "No, I figured it is usually done late at night so nobody sees."

After, I went back to check If my eyes were not deceiving me and found there were not 5 trees but 10.

As I walked in proceeding days, more trees were cut down.  These were not small trees, some had trunks ten inches in diameter.  The last count was 15 felled trees.

I think it is sad that people do this desecration to public property that takes years to grow and also helps keep erosion from taking its course.

So, what it all comes down to is the trees are gone, the DPW or the Harbormaster's crew must clean up the mess and whomever did it can clap their hands and say "Goody, Goody, we got our view with 

no repercussions and screw the people of Onset!”

Noah Young