A recent podcast interview between Gretna Bill and Friends of Governor Dick member Ryan Fretz delved into an issue on the top of many people’s minds in the Mount Gretna area – development and tree-clearing.
Read More: Local resident speaks out against Governor Dick tree clearing
Fretz is a landscaper and artist who works and lives in the Gretna area (you can see some of his work in this 2020 photo story of the most-loved gardens in Lebanon County) and became involved with the informal Friends of Governor Dick group, which has been working at varying levels of activity over the last 20 years to preserve the natural beauty and ecosystem of the Gretna area.
Gretna Bill is the moniker used by Bill Gentile for his cycling podcast, produced by local videographer Josh Zaring.
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The interview between Gretna Bill and Fretz touches on a number of aspects of the Mount Gretna/Governor Dick story, with a main policy focus of the Friends group right now being to gather signatures on a Change.org petition with the aim of pushing the Lebanon County Commissioners to intervene against the board of trustees for Clarence Shock Memorial Park at Governor Dick.
Read More: The sad story of the six-level “Tower House” that once stood atop Mt. Gretna’s Governor Dick
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“This conversation, it’s bigger than just the trees,” said Fretz in the interview. “The flora and fauna — the native plants and animals — are in a dire situation. By erasing all life on 60 acres and just assuming it will all flow back in, we’re going to lose species at a rapid rate.”
Watch the full interview on YouTube.
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