All of us present citizens of Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis need to be responsible stewards of our lands which are entrusted to our care. Forests, creeks, all of our waterways, depend on us for good management.

Forest Drive and the entire peninsula it serves, is just such land. Its trees cannot advocate for themselves. They are entirely dependent on our stewardship for their very life, and we are dependent on them for ours.

When I read that a law could allow a developer to replant knocked down trees or pay $10 a square foot feet in lieu of replanting, I could not believe such an off-handed attitude would come out of our officials’ thinking.

Danielle Ohl’s thorough news story referencing terms like “break-even point calculations” or “reforestation nullification” just underlines the need for common sense to be applied (The Capital, March 3)!

Unfettered development is already hugely damaging to our area and all who already live here.

We don’t need a “build it and they will come” attitude embraced by our leaders. We need a carefully planned future without excessive development.

Our elected city and county officials, whose planning and zoning boards are expected to carefully monitor and control new projects are failing on many counts. Traffic for one! Just watch as you see our emergency vehicles speeding down Forest Drive to save lives.

And who is monitoring the poisonous runoff from overdevelopment on this peninsula, as it goes into our treasured creeks, which depend on our stewardship?

Every one of us must stand firm against the disrespect shown by developers, especially those who care nothing for our forests, waterways and transportation woes.

Tell National Lutheran to develop its planned Villages at Providence Point elsewhere. Hear our voices loud and clear.

ANNE PARKER, ANNAPOLIS

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