As New York Plants One Million Trees, Benefits—and Some Burdens—Grow

The city’s MillionTrees program fights asthma and global warming. But tightening maintenance budgets, increasingly severe weather and decades-old planting decisions complicate trees’ contribution.

1 minute read

February 1, 2012, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

What could be the problem with planting a million trees in New York? Paul Bufano and An Phung write about the good intentions and undesired outcomes of one of Mayor Bloomberg and PlaNYC's signature initiatives.

Reduced maintenance budgets, caring for non-native monocultures, storms of increased violence and occurrence, are all challenges effecting the program that must be balanced with its intended benefits.

"There has always been more need for tree care than need for funds to plant them," says [Samuel] Bishop, [education director at Trees New York]. "There are more people in New York than trees, so if everyone helped out a little bit there shouldn't be much of a problem."

Thanks to Nekoro Gomes

FULL STORY: As City Plants Trees, Benefits--and Some Burdens--Grow

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 in City Limits

Environment Government / Politics Land Use Urban Development New York Transit Public Transportation New York City Urban Parks Trees Aging Infrastructure Asthma US Minority Populations Equal Access View More

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