In response to the letter titled “Plains devastation,” as a birder and naturalist, I beg to differ. The clearing on the Montague Plains mimics the natural clearing of the underbrush and trees by forest fire. If it were not cleared, when there was a fire, the results would be much more devastating to both people and the forest. I have a friend who regularly posts his photos of birds on the Plains. I asked him how the clearing had affected the birds and he told me that the birding is fabulous. Look at the areas cleared a few years ago — the regrowth of the trees and understory is healthy and beautiful.
Kate Spencer
Montague