Tuesday, August 11, 2020

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.




18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Only two things important:

1. Building the Democratic Party base


2. Campaign donations.


Money for Tree pruning? blame the utility!

Anonymous said...

The city just doesn't care about the trees, the same way they don't care about everything else here.

I have reported numerous dead standing trees over the years, and it takes at least a half year to a full year before they are removed. Its crazy.

Anonymous said...

My brother, who is a licensed tree surgeon, trimmed the tree in front of my house because of an overhanging limb. It took minutes. The neighbor called 311 and whichever Dept in charge of this had two people over moments later. A 6+ month wait for a pruning request but plenty of staff to try and fine you.

Anonymous said...

"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."

Oh Horseshit...

Anonymous said...

Maybe the mayor should spend some money rimming trees and preparing for the hurricane season instead of wasting money painting the streets of New York with black lives matter

Anonymous said...

The real question that still needs to be asked by those in charge of Parks oversight and funding is:
what entity has NYC Parks Central Forestry hired to perform their tree care work and the tree by tree inspections for condition and structure? Moreover what oversight for compliance has been provided and by who of both the tree care deliverable and those inspections? Are they novices, arborist wannabes that lack the high caliper skill set needed to do the inspections? Who sets the inspection protocols? The outcome of storm Isaias, as was similarly revealed during Sandy points to much inferior long-term tree management by city government.

treerapper said...

What is never thought about in these situations is how was the tree in question planned for. The norm is to just stick it in the ground and walk away. Rarely is there any consideration for that landscape underground and how much a tree depends on an accessible, adequate volume of living soil in order to thrive and grow as it should. Most trees' roots are severely compromised because of this lack of detail and the result is a loss of the resource, especially when there are storms. This is knowledge that's readily available to the people who should have the wherewithal to manage the resource. That said, it's certainly missing from NYC's Parks Department as there is extensive evidence of gross mismanagement throughout the City. An unfortunate loss of the essential tree resource and the taxpayer who is depending on those trees for all the Ecosystem Services benefits they afford the community. Unacceptable unprofessional mis-management

Anonymous said...

Let’s clawback the $2.5million of raises the City Council selfishly gave themselves a few years ago? That could help pay for something our communities could use.

Anonymous said...

Trees? TREES? are you serious?

Does this build the party base? Does this get your local 'public servant' (that does not have the time of day for you when its not election time or the cameras around) any traction in their bid for the next level by giving a rats arse on in tree roots?

The only time they think of trees is in their upstate retirement retreat they are building with your donations!

Get real people.

ron s said...

Nothing new here--back in the 60's and 70's they stopped doing preventive maintenance on the bridges. Even more stupid......

Anonymous said...

@ron s said... "Even more stupid......" Yes the STUPID New York Voters who let this happen again after all the progress we made the last 20 plus years. I really have lost all respect for the Dems.

igal6357 said...

the oversight committee persons we laid off due to budget cuts!!

Anonymous said...

https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-city-protests-fire-police-cars

Sorry, guys, no money for pruning - we need to have funds set aside for the Democrats expressing their political opinions and support for the Biden ticket.

If your car or home is damaged its a small price to pay to get the right people in office!

Anonymous said...

Large limbs have fallen in the street, onto my front yard, and parked cars. Luckily, one large limb didn’t hit my house. I call 311 and the Parks dept wouldn’t come out and I had to keep calling 311. When they came out, the lazy guys did some minor trimming and left. My neighbor got his tree removed. I have no idea how he got it done or who he had to bribe. I saw the Parks start work and when I git came home, the tree was gone. My recent call to 311 said it takes 30 days fi4 them to do a site survey and may take 60 days for them to do anything. The trees on my block have gotten so large, they are reaching across the street.

The trees roots rip out the streets and I have to get it paved to prevent people from tripping and suing me. It’s happened to my neighbor.

Anonymous said...

I prune all the trees on my block fuck the city. (the city wants and excuse to cut them all down rather then pay repeat maintenance)
The trick is to co-operate with the neighbors get in with the bucket and dumpster truck real fast on holidays, or after hours. Cut the trimmings up off location. This is because your always gonna have some old bastard in bed 7PM calling 311
Had I not acted on my own those trees would be gone long ago.
In places like Ridgewood you have all these London Plain trees that are not native to hurricane climates. You need to keep the sail out of them, they also break resulting in fee falling limbs. They do not cracks and "hinge down" like oak trees.

Joe said...

I do my own pruning off hours, forget the city.
In places like Ridgewood you have these London Plane trees that are not native to hurricane climates. If not maintained they will The grow huge with lots of "sail" and when those limbs crack they do not "hinge" down like oak & pine trees breeds. The limbs freefall like bricks
I don't mind fixing the sidewalk every couple years, you break out a slab get the wheel barrel, water, trowel, concrete & coloring and re-do it, Its no big deal.
I would not call the city over London plane tree's, the city is at war with London Plain's over the bucket truck maintenance these large breeds need.
The trick is getting things done fast at odd days and hours because some old crank gumming gritts in bed 7PM is always gonna call 311 on you.
Interesting fact many of these large trees are fed by underground springs.
My grandparents lived at 142 George & Knickerbocker. That old 3 story 1800s house had a fresh water creek running through the celler on a diagonal. No way of stopping it so they cut out a trench and covered with boards with a small pump, sand filter & tank to flush the toilets rather then waste metered city water.
I remember huge rats the size of raccoons swimming also

Anonymous said...

Park your car in your driveway. If a city curb tree crushes it you can’t collect from your auto insurance!

Anonymous said...

Joe thanks for the very knowledgeable comment. Queens Crap is always instructive.