My Turn: Taking the long view AP FILE PHOTO/SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN How do we value our scenic vistas, the energy we use, and planetary survival? I live downtown in the village of Shelburne Falls, a scenic former mill town nestled in the Deerfield river valley and surrounded by a bowl of wooded hills. One of my neighbors bought a house on Bray Mountain, which forms our western ridge, and decided to clear some trees. I can’t blame them for wanting to improve their view, one of the most scenic in Massachusetts. But now when I lift my gaze I see a clearing on the hilltop that looks like a hipster’s soul patch shaved into the upturned chin of what was an unbroken expanse of forested ridgeline. Their singular view on high is now also a diminished scenic view for me and my hundreds of neighbors down below. Gazing in both directions, we viewers are part of the view.