Trinity Trees: Two Years On

Submitted by don on Sun, 09/06/2009 - 11:12pm.

Labor Day, 2009, is the second anniversary of the largest protest against gas drilling in Fort Worth history. The Trinity Trees Labor Day Picnic in 2007 attracted several hundred people to celebrate this most beautiful stretch of the Trinity River and to voice concern over the planned gas wells on the site.

There was music, speeches, camaraderie and free tree saplings. High level Chesapeake reps, Julie Wilson, Tom Price and others showed up uninvited, like fire ants at the picnic, touting what a good neighbor they would be. They claimed that their gas well would actually improve the Trinity Trees grove.

After the picnic, there were well attended public meetings and public comment. At one of them, a frustrated Chesapeake VP, Tom Price, shot the finger to an unfriendly audience. There was a lawsuit filed to stop the drilling. A state judge threw it out. Many of the trees came down. Rigs went up. Flaring commenced, despite Chesapeake promises otherwise. The City of Fort Worth did nothing.

In 2008, Trinity Trees supporters raised funds that were used to erect a park bench commemorating efforts to save the tree grove. Chesapeake responded by donating a water fountain along the same trail. A prominent carved stone with their logo now embellishes the trail.

In the past two years, Chesapeake has become even more aggressive in the Barnett and other shales. They have spent millions of dollars on greenwashing campaigns that will reap many more millions of dirty dollars for Aubrey McClendon, Julie Wilson, Tom Price and their investors. They have greased all the right palms. They have silenced many lips. 

After Trinity Trees, Chesapeake achieved their main objective: shutting you up. Since the TT picnic, apathy has spread in Fort Worth like small pox through an Indian village.

Since their win at TT, Chesapeake has received city OK to drill multiple gas wells next to or inside virtually every green space and park in Fort Worth including, Greenwood Grove, Trinity Park, Lake Worth and the Tandy Tills greenbelt. No neighborhood is untouched.

As bad as it is, it could have been worse. Unfortunately, that is the best our elected officials have chosen to bequeath our children: It could have been worse. Personally, I find that a less than satisfying legacy for my hometown. 

Support Drilling Right in Texas by making a donation to Texas OGAP:

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/676/t/5240/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=4483&track=txOGAPbd



Read more about the history of Trinity Trees here:

http://startelegram.typepad.com/barnett_shale/trinity_trees/

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