🌳 Boston needs to throw more shade

Happy Hump Day, Boston.

🚨 PSA: This is not a drill. Butter Pecan Swirl is back at Dunkin' today. And this time, it’s staying on the menu. FOR GOOD.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Healey warns MBTA leaders

• A Boston rat leader?

• A mountain-climbing pug

Up first...

ENVIRONMENT

The plan to protect Boston’s trees

Should trees have rights? The trees in Boston might soon. The City Council is close to creating a law that would protect the city’s tree canopy by regulating the removal of trees on public and private property.

Here’s what you need to know:

🌳 It’s about preserving the trees we have to protect heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. There’s no question that trees make life a whole lot better: They purify the air, they absorb toxins, and they help to keep us cool in the summer. But not all tree coverage in Boston is equal, and it makes a difference: A 2021 city report found that neighborhoods like Roxbury and Chinatown, which had 7% less tree coverage compared with the citywide median, could reach up to 106 degrees during the day. And those temperature disparities have received national attention.

🌲 The new ordinance will likely be divided into two stages: public and private. The first part will cover trees on public property and the second will cover trees on private property. The latter will probably be a little more complicated since you’re talking about people’s yards, but it would likely involve requiring a permit to cut down a tree.

🌳 But some advocates are worried that splitting the plan might cause more problems. David Meshoulam, executive director and co-founder of tree advocacy group Speak for the Trees, is concerned that the city will pass the public part of the ordinance, “then drop the ball “when it gets too political” during private discussions. “We can’t just do this with public land. We need a strong ordinance for private trees,” he said. Meshoulam also worries that if a public ordinance passes, developers will preemptively start cutting down trees before a private one goes into effect.

👀 And if these measures pass, enforcement and education will be key. “I think we need to be really intentional and not just [beat] people over the head about this, but [have] them understand why this is happening,” Meshoulam said. He also thinks the city needs an ordinance that prevents developers from buying their way out of cutting down trees and instead forces them to plan their way around them. “It’s time that we recognize these trees and just see them,” he said. “Sometimes they’re just not seen until it’s too late.”

TOGETHER WITH SPARK BOSTON

Looking to get involved in your community?

Listen up! As part of the City of Boston’s Love Your Block neighborhood clean up, we’ve partnered with SPARK Boston to host a clean-up site on April 29 at the Hunt Almont Park (40 Almont Street) in Mattapan at 10 a.m. Come join us, or find another Love Your Block location.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 Be there or be square. That was Governor Healey’s message to the MBTA leaders who live far away from the communities the transit system serves. Healey told four MBTA execs that they need to be in office in Boston at least three days a week or start looking for new jobs, calling it “outrageous” they’re working remotely while the T struggles. The announcement comes after a Boston Globe report revealed nine top executives live over 100 miles from their nearest MBTA station, with seven living in completely different states.

🐀 Could Boston get a rat leader? Maybe. City Council president Ed Flynn is planning to introduce a proposal Thursday to create an Office of Pest Control. Right now pest control operations are handled by the Boston Public Works and the Inspectional Services Department. Flynn said he’s been following NYC’s new rodent control program, including the work of their new rat czar, and wants to address what he sees as a public health issue.

🎓 You definitely shouldn’t apply to Massachusetts Central University. MCU is a fake college that sells degrees to those who want an American diploma. The ​​Department of Higher Education found out about the website in 2021, and it came down after a cease-and-desist order. But the site popped back up, claiming to have 1,200 faculty members and 10,000 students. If you’ve already been scammed, you can contact the Mass. Attorney General’s office or the Mass. Department of Higher Education.

🍗 Bayou fast food opens in Back Bay. Raising Cane’s, a Louisiana-based fried chicken fast food joint, opens on Boylston Street across from the Pru today. This is the second Boston location for the company known for its famous creamy ‘Canes Sauce.’ The restaurant’s other storefront sits on Commonwealth Ave. by Boston University, and if you’ve ever been on a BU game day, you know how popular it is. The line wraps the store and goes out the door.

QUICK POLL

🤔 Do you think all MBTA officials should live near Boston?

ONE LAST THING

The 48 on four paws

In adorable news: This pug climbed the New Hampshire 48.

A nine-year-old pug named Woof finished the 48 this weekend, the four dozen mountains in the White Mountains that are over 4,000 feet tall. Woof’s owner, Erin McMahon, said that the pug did the hikes 99% unassisted, with some help needed to get over the steeper rocks or through water.

If you’re thinking of bringing your own pup for a 48 journey, McMahan says not so fast. She trained Woof on long, flat walks before starting him on inclines and eventually to New Hampshire’s steepest peaks.

🐶 Thanks for reading! Woof’s glute strength must be wild. I wonder what he squats.

😅 The results are in! Nearly 50% of you think the 'This car climbed Mount Washington’ bumper sticker is cringey and people should take it off. Taking no prisoners!

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