City Council pruned budget for tree inspection and maintenance

 THE CITY

The city’s canopy of more than 2.6 million street and park trees will have to wait for scheduled prunings due to new budget cuts — a move slammed by a former Parks Department commissioner as “foolish” and dangerous.

The Fiscal 2021 Executive Plan includes a budget reduction of $7.2 million for tree pruning contracts, leaving about $1.5 million for the job. City trees are generally trimmed every seven to 10 years.

Park advocates and government officials, pointing to past incidents where people were severely injured — or worse — by plummeting branches, sounded the alarm over the cuts.

“The problem with not pruning is if a limb falls from a tall tree, it can cause tremendous damage. It can kill people,” said Adrian Benepe, who served as Parks commissioner from 2002 to 2012.

“It’s a meaningless cut that could cause damage both to the trees and to people.”

After the city slashed tree-pruning funding in 2010, tree-related injury claims soared. By delaying pruning contracts, the city saved $1 million — but settlement costs neared $15 million, records show.

“One bad tree limb fall wipes out all your savings,” said Benepe. “This saving is pennywise and pound foolish.”

During 2010, the city pruned less than 30,000 street trees — 50,000 fewer trees than the year before. Full funding for the Parks pruning program wasn’t restored until FY2013 when the 10-year pruning cycle was reinstated.

Claims for injuries caused by trees increased by 92% — from just under 400 claims to over 700 — during the period of reduced pruning and maintenance. In some community districts outside Manhattan claims increased by 590%, according to a 2015 ClaimStat report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

In 2015, Stringer told the City Council that there is a direct correlation between million-dollar legal claims and the amount of money the city allocates for tree pruning each year.

 

Reduced tree pruning isn’t synonymous with dangerous conditions, said Dan Kastanis, a Parks Department spokesperson. “Tree pruning is important, but inspections keep people safe, and proactive tree inspections are continuing in every borough, every day,” he said.

Parks keeps butchering trees at Old Hickory Park

"For the third year in a row the trees that line the edge of Old Hickory Park have been cut back to nothing but trunk. These trees used to provide a barrier between the neighborhood and the tunnel. However the views of the billboards above the tunnel entrance seem to outweigh the value of our park. This horror is going on today and will probably continue into tomorrow. I have photos of the destruction as well as the city permit. This stinks of corruption." - Anonymous

Street tree feeling hollow

Does being able to see through a tree branch sound like "routine" pruning is needed? This is the second time I've reported it - I guess they're waiting for it to snap and hit someone or something.

Date Submitted: 03/31/16 10:33:04 AM
Request Type: Damaged Tree
Details: Tree Alive - in Poor Condition

Your Service Request was closed.

The Department of Parks and Recreation visited the location but could not find the tree condition you reported.

REPORTED CONDITION INSPECTED ON 4/1/16, CONDITION UNFOUNDED. TREE WAS FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION AND REQUIRE ROUTINE BLOCK PRUNING VIA CITY CONTRACTOR.

Date Submitted: 07/27/15 4:42:11 PM
Request Type: Damaged Tree
Details: Branch Cracked and Will Fall

Your Service Request was closed.

The condition was inspected and it was determined that no work order was necessary. The condition will not be inspected again for at least 90 days.

Tree pruning audit praising Queens is a joke

From the Times Ledger:

In a recent audit by city Comptroller Scott Stringer, Queens was heralded as the model borough whose Parks Department tree pruning practices should be followed by the rest of the city, but one area leader is skeptical of that finding.

After seeing the report, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) questioned whether the results were something Queens should be proud of or if they signaled the need for change within the borough’s Parks Department operations.

In an audit made public by Stringer’s office Aug. 17, the comptroller revealed that Parks offices in four of the five boroughs, excluding Queens, failed to properly prune tree limbs or provide the maintenance needed.

It also found that the borough offices in Manhattan and Staten Island failed to review vendor invoices before making payments to ensure contractors were only paid for pruning eligible trees, which Stringer defined as those with a diameter of 5 inches or greater when measured at the height of an adult’s chest.

Queens was the only borough, Stringer said, that had no issues with its pruning practices or how they were reported. According to Stringer’s report, 41.8 percent of all trees eligible for pruning across the city, equivalent to 204,825 trees out of 490,417 total, were in Queens.

“Pruning operations in Queens are a model for the rest of the city,” Stringer said. “The Parks Department needs to implement reforms that will help protect all taxpayers, boost services and ensure greater safety in all neighborhoods.”

But despite the praise, Avella said he was skeptical that tree pruning in Queens has been as successful as Stringer reported.

“Although I’m glad [Stringer] found the response of the Queens Borough Forestry Department to be much better than that of the other boroughs, the Parks Department has certainly failed to provide proper tree maintenance and speedy stump removals throughout all five boroughs in the city of New York,” Avella said.

The senator argued that the Queens Parks Department has ignored the needs and desires of residents by continuously planting new trees, despite opposition from the community, and failed to care for them as needed.

Stringer rips Parks over poor tree care

From CBS New York:

New York’s chief fiscal officer on Sunday accused his city of endangering residents by failing to maintain many of the 650,000 trees lining streets.

Comptroller Scott Stringer says contractors hired to care for the urban greenery have pruned trees that didn’t need it and neglected those that required attention. In addition, there are questions about charges and record-keeping.

“Tax dollars are wasted, property is damaged and, worst of all, people are sometimes injured or killed,” said Stringer, who held a news conference on a sidewalk in Chelsea. “Time and time again in four of the five boroughs, the Parks Department failed to properly manage the work done by private contractors.

“I don’t have to go out on a limb to tell you that our city’s performance is unacceptable,” Stringer told reporters, including 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck.

He blames the city agency for a mismanaged pruning program that has cost millions of dollars in claims for injuries and property damage.

“Look, you’re pruning the wrong trees,” Stringer said. “And we paid for tree prunings that didn’t happen.”

Overpruning is ruining city-owned trees

To (Parks Dept official):

I thought you and your team should know of a recent street tree branch cutting incident on 160th Str / Oak Ave in the Kissena Park area as reported by a community member.

LOCATION: 160-03 OAK AVE / 160TH STREET.
SPECIES: 30-IN DBH SWEET GUM STREET TREE / SETBACK WITHIN THE CITY ROW.

This is a fine well-branched large-canopy speciman street tree that survived numerous storms as well as past abuses by utility line clearing operations. We are troubled that the homeowner did not take the proper steps to obtain an application for any tree work that would have been needed. And instead of removing diseased and dead wood the homeowner (in collusion with the hired tree firm) resorted to needlessly pollarding numerous beneficial and duly necessary live tree branches. We see that the tree trimming outfit hired as the "expert" by the homeowner to be at fault. And I am sure you agree that this branch pruning does not comply to even the basic ANSI and ISA standards.

With PEP enforcement kindly do your best to investigate this rogue tree outfit and ensure their removal from the Parks Forestry approved arborist list to the unapproved list. Because if they've abused this street tree here you know well that they are doing it elsewhere to other public street trees.

Thank you and kindly let me know of your findings.

Carsten W. Glaeser
KPCA

(FYI: In many areas of Queens, trees that appear on private property are actually in the public right of way, such as this one. There is an easement for future street widening should need be. - QC)

Dangerous trees in many parks

We have phony park advocates petitioning for funding for tweeding programs via public private partnerships instead of demanding adequate funding in the city Parks budget, and we're surprised this is happening?

Stop butchering street trees

From CBS New York:

Residents of certain sections of Queens have said their beautiful, tree-lined streets are being massacred, and the storms of the past year are not to blame.

Rather, as CBS 2’s Hazel Sanchez reported, the residents of Auburndale and Bayside blame Con Edison.

Con Edison contractors have been making the rounds trimming trees around power lines. But the odd-looking end results are not aesthetically acceptable for the many neighbors.

Con Ed officials said, “Overgrown and fallen tree limbs are the leading cause of power outages during storms, and their tree maintenance program is critical in keeping the lights on.

But some residents argued there has to be a better option.

“The ultimate solution is to put the wires underground, because this way it’s for safety reasons,” said Henry Euler of the Auburndale Civic Association. “And it’s less likely to lose power during storms and it just looks better in the neighborhood.”

Avella wants new tree care policy

From the Times Ledger:

Even before Hurricane Sandy, Glen Oaks Village President Bob Friedrich said his group maintained a running list of ailing trees in his part of northeast Queens, but to no avail.

According to Friedrich, the Glen Oaks tree-trimming laundry list went virtually unnoticed when presented to the city Parks Department despite warnings about roughly 50 unhealthy trees.

By the time Superstorm Sandy swept through his streets, Friedrich said almost half of the already problematic trees had toppled down from the intense wind and rain.

“Had those trees been pruned, they wouldn’t have come down so easily,” Friedrich said. “The city is basically ignoring the pleas of northeast Queens communities.”

In front of uprooted sidewalk plots where trees once stood and homes with missing roof shingles, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) joined civic leaders and homeowners in Floral Park last Thursday to blast the Parks Department for neglecting homeowners’ requests and failing to maintain its trees.

“One of the biggest problems residents had to deal with in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy was downed trees,” Avella said. “It is extremely unfortunate that many of the downed trees that either fell on homes or blocked streets are the same trees that constituents have been calling on the city to remove for years.”

Avella said a changing climate has forced the city’s hand in committing to new policies involving tree damage, stump removal and the placement of new trees. The senator had held a news conference on the subject in July 2011 and said things have not gotten any better this year.

To expedite progress, Avella said he developed his own plan, which included calling on the formation of a tree policy review committee to evaluate tree maintenance and to put an immediate temporary halt to the city’s Million Tree Planting program until new rules and procedures are installed.

“This just further illustrates what I have been saying for years as a former City Council member and now state senator — the city needs to do a far better job at maintaining the trees that are already planted before planting a million more,” Avella said. “Going forward, there needs to be a concrete plan in place to address this serious problem.”

Avella said the city was rushing to fulfill its million trees commitment without proper planning, which has resulted in trees being planted in inappropriate or poor locations.

Con Ed decimates another street tree

"It was once a lovely tree on 33rd Ave near the corner of 165th Street in Flushing.

But years of Con Ed overpruning has led to this...

The red tape of death." - The Flushing Phantom

City needs to inspect and care for trees

From the Queens Chronicle:

Dear Editor:

Hurricanes Sandy and Irene have proven that New York City has underestimated the destruction of unmaintained trees in our city. Sandy has caused millions of dollars in damage, with homes destroyed and 41 deaths, many caused by fallen trees.

Operators with 311 have been instructed not to take any calls pertaining to damaged or dead trees. They will not take any tree reports.

A large part of the damage to our homes, streets and power lines was due to city trees that have not been pruned, removed or maintained for many, many years due to lack of funds for this purpose. Yet the mayor’s goal for the city has been to plant one million new trees. The priority should be maintaining existing trees, not planting new ones.

Trees fall, basements flood, utility lines fall, telephone lines and power lines are without service for days even weeks — yet the Parks commissioner does not accept phone calls or 311 reports about trees.

The mayor has to recognize that the tree problem is at a dangerous level in the boroughs. There are hundreds of trees in need of pruning or removal. They cause death when they fall on people. Our priorities should be to save lives and homes and prevent power failures.

The Parks Department budget must be realistic so it can do its job and prevent future damage similar to the damage caused by Irene and Sandy.

Nick Pennachio
Elmhurst

The writer is a member of Community Board 4.

From the Daily News:

The majestic trees of Queens that help make it the city’s leafiest borough toppled in record numbers after the one-two punch of Hurricane Sandy and this week’s nor’easter.

About half of the 20,000-plus calls to the city’s 311 line for downed trees and branches as well as hanging limbs came from Queens after the super-storm.
And roughly 2,000 of the 3,000 requests received after the nor’easter were also traced to Queens.

Forestry crews from the city Parks Department — along with teams of outside contractors — have been working feverishly to clear blocked streets and remove trees from homes and cars.

Photo from A Walk in the Park.

Tree pruning funded in this year's budget

From the NY Times:

After years of declining budgets for the care of New York City’s street trees, city officials and lawmakers more than doubled the amount for the fiscal year that began this week.

The City Council, working with the mayor’s office, added $2 million for tree pruning to the $1.45 million in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposed budget. The extra money was part of $30 million worth of last-minute restorations to the parks department’s budget, including money to keep open four public pools and to pay for seasonal park staff members.