New NYC tree plan shines light on need for more shade

[hauntedheadnc]

New NYC tree plan shines light on need for more shade
Source: gothamist.com

...City officials released a new plan this week to shroud 30% of the five boroughs in tree canopy by 2040. The city’s current tree canopy cover is is 23.4% — or about 45,000 acres, equal to the size of Brooklyn.

***

New York City currently has around 7 million trees that absorb just 51,000 tons of carbon and a little more than 500 million gallons of stormwater runoff per year.

The report identified one-and-two unit properties, such as residential brownstones, as having the greatest potential for new tree canopy. Homes in low-density neighborhoods could expand the tree canopy by up to 19,200 acres, it found.

***

New York City Announces Release of First-Ever Urban Forest Plan
Plan lays out NYC’s strategy to achieve 30% tree canopy by 2040 through protection, preservation, and planting of more trees
Source: nyc.gov

BROOKLYN, NY – Today at NYCHA’s Red Hook Houses in southern Brooklyn, Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung announced the release of New York City’s first-ever Urban Forest Plan (UFP): a comprehensive roadmap to preserve tree canopy, plant more trees, and cultivate an ecosystem of stewardship. Climate Officer Yeung, the head of the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ), was joined by Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson, Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, NYCHA Vice President of Sustainability Siobhan Watson, and the Executive Director of Trees New York for the announcement and subsequent stewardship activity on the NYCHA campus.

The UFP lays out the City’s goal of achieving 30 percent tree canopy by 2040. Today, the urban forest canopy shades 23.4% of New York City, covering roughly 45,000 acres — an area about the size of Brooklyn. Reaching this expanded canopy will help the City achieve broader goals of advancing environmental justice, mitigating the effects of heat, and improving quality of life.

“New York has always been defined by the dreams we dare to build together. Today, we’re planting those dreams in the soil itself,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “The Urban Forest Plan is a commitment that no matter your neighborhood, you deserve clean air, shade in the heat of summer, and streets that reflect the possibility of our great city. Together, we’re going to grow a New York that is greener, healthier, and more beautiful for everyone who calls it home.”

/ / /