Fort Greene Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, March 7, 2002

FOUR GRANTS FROM THE STATE MEANS THE BEGINNING OF FOUR IMPORTANT PROJECTS

Federal and state grants awarded to Parks are applied to fund projects that go beyond the budget. A total of $300,000 in Urban Forestry Grants from the State of New York were recently awarded to Forestry and the New York Tree Trust. Jennifer Greenfeld, the Director of the Tree Trust, sees these grants as means to a broader goal, noting, "these grants will allow the Tree Trust to continue to bring innovative strategies to the management of New York City's urban forest. In these times of limited city resources, the New York Tree Trust plays an important role in raising additional money to support the forestry mission of the agency."

Of the four grants awarded, only one was awarded directly to Parks. This grant of $200,000 slated for Forestry will be used to replace trees that have been cut down and destroyed in the fight against the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Since the discovery of the beetle in 1996 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City has lost over 3,500 trees to this ferocious bug. Of the 5 million trees in New York City (located on both public and private property), approximately 47%, the city’s hardwood trees, are at risk to beetle infestation. The grant was awarded to replace those trees that have been destroyed on our streets, parks and playgrounds by the Asian Longhorned Beetle, as well as, those that may be destroyed as new infestations are found.

The Tree Trust also received a grant of $50,000 to help in the fight against the Asian Longhorned Beetle. It will be used to contract nurseries to grow species of trees that are resistant to the beetle. This pilot program will allow for the growth of 500 beetle resistant trees in the next four to five years. At the end of a growing period, these resistant strains would be used to replace infested trees on public property. A preliminary list of highly desired yet largely difficult to find tree species include:

Celtis Occidentalis (Hackberry), Cercidiphyllum Japonicum (Katsuratree), Corylus Coluna (Turkish Tilbert), Eucommia Ulmoides (Hardy Rubber Tree), Gingko Biloba (Maidenhair Tree) Koelreuteria Paniculata (Goldenrain Tree), Maackia Amerunsis (Amur Maackia), Metasequoia Glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood), Quercus Acutiissima (Sawtooth Oak), Quercus Phellos (Willow Oak), Styphnolobium Japonica (Scholar Tree), and Syringa Reticulata (Japanese Tree Lilac).

Partnerships between government agencies and community groups are an important part of the maintenance of this city’s green spaces. To forward these relations, the NY Tree Trust and another organization, Green for Breathing, in cooperation with Parks, received a $25,000 grant to create a Hunts Point Model Urban Forestry Inventory and Management Project. This program will create a blueprint for urban forestry management focused on partnerships between community-based coalitions and government agencies. Simultaneously, those involved will collect data and supply educational information to communities on creating a more hospitable environment for trees.

Also awarded to the Tree Trust was a grant for $25,000 to conduct urban forest inventories and develop forest management plans for Crotona, Bailsey Pond, and Fort Greene Parks. This program will improve Parks’ tree management system by using a Geographic Positioning System (GPS) Unit to identify the locations of trees and inventory tree and environmental characteristics. After analyzing the data, the Tree Trust will work with Parks staff and local communities to develop comprehensive management plans, integrate data into educational programming and post data on Parks’ and other city-wide websites.

With these grants, the Tree Trust "…continues to supplement work at Parks in two important ways: bringing new technologies and new community partners into the urban forestry fold. It's of special note that despite the present fiscal challenges, the Tree Trust is bringing new programs to the parks and people of New York City," says Fiona Watt, Director of Forestry. So, from the entire Parks family to our partners at the New York Tree Trust: Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

(Thursday, March 16, 1989)

Robert Newman, Supervisor of Management Services at Five-Borough Shops, has been promoted to Director of Central Communications, Commissioner Stern announced.

Newman, who will report directly to Chief of Urban Park Service Oliver Spellman, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Parks’ 24-hour communications system.

"Bob is a very talented individual," said Chief Spellman. "I’m pleased with his determination to expand the services of Central Communications and his command of complex technical issues."

"I would venture to guess that Anon,

who wrote so many poems without signing them,

was often a woman."

(1882-1941)