Minerva Group Briefs Council on Forest Carbon Data

Committee on Climate and Energy · Meeting of September 10, 2026

WATERTOWN — The Watertown Committee on Climate and Energy heard that Whitney Hill Forest stores roughly 2.6 million pounds of carbon. Minerva Action Group researchers Bob Leverett and Ron Whitfield presented findings based on tree data gathered by Patrick Fairbairn in 2015 and 2021, showing 36 large trees of 336 sampled accounted for 50.8 percent of stored carbon. Trees for Watertown President Libby Shaw raised concerns that accessory dwelling unit construction could damage neighboring root systems, saying "there's certainly no Watertown policy" addressing it.

Councilor Vincent Piccarelli proposed using the data to set carbon goals for Walker Pond Park and the Charles River Reservation. The committee took no policy vote, adjourning after discussing the findings and a possible letter to the School Committee about educational use of the park.

In the full story:

• Introductions and the Referral
• The Minerva Action Group's Background
• Study Methodology and Whitney Hill Carbon Totals
• Street Trees, Urban Survival Rates and Private Property
• Policy Discussion: Incentives for Private Tree Preservation
• Climate Action Plan Metrics and New Measurement Ideas
• Educational Partnership with the High School
• Closing and Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,850 words

Source: the Committee on Climate and Energy meeting of September 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.