With the official commencement of the summer season and temperatures already rising in NYC, local representatives are urging Mayor Adams to find sources to fund the planting of more trees across the city.
The officials argue that the presence of trees in such highly populated areas provides shade and respite along with combating challenges of the hotter weather.
In a letter to City Hall obtained by Gothamist, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Councilmember Shekar Krishnan pleaded with the mayor to explore more state and federal funding, meet staffing requirements and make forestry positions within the parks department more accessible. It is “imperative” that the city “commit to strategies that address the challenge of rising heat and insufficient tree canopy,” the letter to Adams reads.
“I think everyone knows that trees provide shade — which is wonderful on a hot summer day — but I don’t think people realize the extent to which they cool a neighborhood,” Levine said in an interview.
The city is still a long way from fulfilling its initiative to plant 1 million trees throughout the five boroughs by 2030, which it originally set out to do more than a decade ago.
As many as 370 New Yorkers die each year from heat-related causes, according to data from the city health department. Children, older people and those living in low-income and predominantly minority neighborhoods are particularly susceptible to higher temperatures, and with citywide temperatures expected to rise as much as 4.7 degrees higher within the next six years, there’s concern that fatalities could increase.
The strategies are being presented as a way for Adams to “aggressively pursue federal aid and state funding opportunities” as the agency remains cash-strapped. And despite being more than halfway through his term, Adams recently proposed allocating roughly half of 1% of the city’s $112 billion budget for fiscal year 2025, which begins in July.
Levine and Krishnan also called on Adams to reduce the degree requirements for the forester civil services title and create a training program for parks employees who are interested in forestry. The officials also said they want to see the inclusion of a comprehensive tree maintenance plan for its NYCHA program, which provides 1,000 acres of tree canopy.
The multipage letter sent this week also reminds Adams of his campaign promise to dedicate 1% of the city’s entire budget to the parks department, as it is facing $55 million in budget cuts.
