Thursday, June 10, 2010

Amtrak starts cutting trees again

"Despite what Amtrak said about not cutting down any more trees in Woodside...



I just took these pictures of Amtrak contractors still cutting down trees along the tracks in Woodside (56 St & 32nd Ave). Isn't this contradictory to the "Million Trees" program?

On another note along the GCP near LaGuardia there is another tree cutting program in operation, not sure if they are cutting them down for road work or another purpose." - anonymous

I thought Peter Vallone, Joe Crowley and Michael Gianaris stopped this? Did Amtrak lie to everyone?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Isn't this contradictory to the "Million Trees" program?
-------------------------------------------------
Maybe he meant "Million Trees Gone" program??!!??!!?!!?

Anonymous said...

Heard today 6/10/10 that DOT (nyc transportation dept.) is cutting / has cut 2000-3000 (?) trees for Belt Parkway greenway / esplanade, with plans to replace with native plants and trees that survive better in a saltwater environment and will better control soil erosion. Can anyone verify that? If this number (2000-3000 trees) is correct, let's add them to the tens of thousands of trees already destroyed (Randalls Island, Wash Sq Park, Union Sq, Saint Saviours, Amtrak, etc), and deduct them from that "million" trees. ~ Eppie

Anonymous said...

about 200 trees are being removed on the GCP by the airport because SDOT needs to blow some federal money putting in a sound barrier wall if they want funding for another project at the Kew Gardens interchange.

plus the people there asked for it apparently. who knew moving into a house along the GCP and an airport wold get noisy?

Anonymous said...

The trees need to be removed because they are always falling...on the tracks, on adjacent property, etc. The loose soil on the embankments can't support them. The embankments are also covered in weeds, filled with trash and often used by stray animals, vagrants, rodents, etc.

Queens Crapper said...

The point is, don't announce you not only have stopped, but will start planting new trees and then do the opposite.

Anonymous said...

Vallone, Gianaris, Crowley announced something and its not true?

Horrors!

Queens Crapper said...

Actually, it wasn't them...

Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said the company had removed trees to prevent the danger of falling leaves and limbs onto its tracks.

“We listened to residents’ complaints, so we are going to be looking to add some shrubs or lower trees,” he said.

The railroad is no longer removing the trees in the borough, he said.

At last week’s meeting, the corporation vowed to plant new fir trees along its tracks.

Anonymous said...

Amtrak is not subject to local and state laws, the same way that the trash freight trains do not need to answer to local civic groups, community boards, or elected officials.

it may not seem fair, but that's how it is.

Anonymous said...

This is not contradictory to the million tree program. The trees that are being removed are on railroad property. The city should now come in a plant trees on the streets that parallel the track. Folks should take a look at pictures of Sunnyside yards when they were first constructed-- completely bare of trees. The trees that have grown up since were not planted-- they are weeds. They need to come down.

Christina Wilkinson said...

Sounds like the Parks Depts' "underdeveloped" argument for cutting down trees at the Ridgewood Reservoir.

Trees propagate without human help most of the time. Doesn't mean we should cut 'em down.