Green For The Greens: Central Park Getting Federal Cash To Grow Trees

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY - A new $20 million plan is slated to protect vulnerable New Yorkers from extreme heat, as well as provide environmental education and employment opportunities around New York City, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Tuesday.

The plan, supported by federal Inflation Reduction Act funds, will benefit The Bronx is Blooming and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to establish green job training and forest restoration careers for underserved communities in Queens and the Bronx; foster environmental outreach and education programs and offer paid training for children and adults in workforce development and green jobs.

“Expanding access to trees and green spaces in New York and historically disadvantaged communities throughout Queens and the Bronx will give our communities a higher quality of life,” Gillibrand said.

Besides cooling neighborhoods, urban forests also help protect New Yorkers from heat waves and improve physical and mental health outcomes, Gillibrand added, noting that over 80 percent of New Yorkers are currently affected by rising temperatures.

Temperatures in urban forests, however, are nearly three degrees lower than in unforested urban areas, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

An estimated 350 New Yorkers on average also die prematurely due to hot weather, per the 2023 NYC Heat-Related Mortality Report.

“Emergency response to extreme heat must be coupled with equitable investments in structural interventions and heat mitigation measures that reduce risk throughout the season,” the report said. “For example, New Yorkers will need energy efficient home cooling that they can afford to run, while tree planting and greening can help reduce local temperatures while providing shade.”

Tuesday’s announcement comes on the heels of another forest funding package - this time in the form of a $5 million grant - to NYC Parks to maximize access to urban forest benefits for disadvantaged communities in Queens. The program includes similar paid training and employment opportunities.