Allows commissioner of environmental conservation to enter into a contract for the undertaking of an urban reforestation project

4 Co-sponsors

• Ruben Diaz
• Martin Malavé Dilan
• George Onorato
• Diane J. Savino

Title of bill

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the undertaking of an urban reforestation project

Purpose

To encourage the planting and maintenance of trees in urban areas.

Summary of provisions

The bill amends section 54-0903 of the environmental conservation law by adding a new subsection to create the urban reforestation program under the environmental protection act. The section allows the commissioner to enter into contracts with cities with a population greater than 20,000 for an urban reforestation project. Funding cannot exceed 50% of the approved cost for an urban forestry plan and urban forestry planning capability which includes the services of a professional forester and/or a licensed landscape architect, undertaking and maintaining an inventory, management planning, and undertaking tree planting, maintenance, removal and pruning.

Justification

Cities, like living organisms, require a healthy environment in which to thrive. In this regard, it has become clear urban areas require a healthy urban forest and vegetation in order to prosper. The U.S. Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture studied the necessity of a flourishing urban ecosystem in its study entitled Chicago's Evolving Urban Forest: Initial Report of the Chicago Urban Forest Climate Project. This study confirmed the crucial public interest involved in preserving an urban forest environment. This public interest includes diverse aspects of economic development climate control, dramatic mitigation of air and noise pollution, cleaner and cooler air, and flood control. Further, there are intangible but obvious non-economic benefits of more trees in residential, commercial, and industrial areas, as a healthy urban forest creates an environment in which people want to live and work. The results of Chicago's long··term efforts to restore its urban forest landscape were remarkable. In 1991, according to the U.S.D.A. study, trees in Chicago removed an estimated 6.145 tons of air pollutants. This provided air cleansing valued at $9.2 million in that year. In addition, Chicago's trees sequester approximately 155,000 tons of carbon per year as well as providing residential heating and cooling energy savings that, in turn, reduce carbon emissions from power plants by about 12,600 tons annually. Shade, lower summer air temperatures, and a reduction in windspeed associated with increasing tree cover by 10% can lower total heating and cooling energy use by 5%-10% annually ($50-$90 per dwelling unit). The study concluded that the long-term benefits of trees are more than twice their costs. Despite these significant economic benefits and the benefits associated with increased property values in New York's urban areas, New York's largest cities can no longer adequately preserve or maintain their urban forests under the current fiscal climate. Under the chronic regime of crisis management that the largest cities in the state now suffer, management of urban forests is limited to the taking down of dead and fallen trees, which were often planted generations ago. Absent state initiative, this situation will continue until New York's urban forests and vegetation simply vanish. This Act seeks to encourage municipalities to plan their urban forest management programs for the long-term by rewarding more monies to those cities that have developed an urban forest inventory and plant retained the services of a professional forester, and are engaged in the full complement of maintenance services required to maintain an urban forest. In the end, this fund will achieve the preservation and development of our state's urban forest areas without undue commercial hardship or cost to the taxpayer.

Legislative history

S.5573 of 2006-07 S.3132 of 2007-08

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.