To the Editor:

The division between doing the right thing for one thing and the right thing for another thing gets as confusing as the beginning of this sentence.

I worked along with others to establish Al's Trail, a 10.6 mile trail, for over a decade. Al Goodrich, for whom I named this trail, followed the lead of Gary Fetzer to initiate protection along streams for state greenways so that wild animals would have habitat left unspoiled for migratory routes. We worked hard through many state and local levels for this permission to keep the area as open space.

Impervious surfaces: roof tops and parking lots next to Deep Brook trout stream under Old Farm Road bridge are not the right thing for trout. The runoff heated in the summer changes the cold water trout need. Mink, bear, nesting birds: screech owl, warblers, woodcock are in evidence around this area. Wild animals need habitat more than anything. I wish that the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary could be built, uphill from this place where trout, birds and animals have been since the ice age.

Sincerely,

Pat Barkman

49 Taunton Lake Road, Newtown   May 28, 2014