On the industrial shoreline behind St. Mary’s Cement in Hunts Point, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson gathered with environmental advocates and community partners to call for enhanced investment in greener infrastructure in the borough.
During a press conference on Thursday, Gibson and the others urged Mayor Eric Adams to allocate more resources to the New York City Parks Department (NYC Parks) to combat enduring challenges such as heat, air pollution, and flooding faced by communities in the South Bronx.
The group emphasized the need to increase the Parks Department’s funding from the current 0.6% of the City’s Executive Budget to 1%. This change would equate to roughly an additional $80 million, which Gibson believes is essential for improving public health and safety across the borough.
“ This is not just a budget issue, but it’s a matter of public health, public safety, and health and wellness,” Gibson stated, highlighting the urgency of the issue just a day before Arbor Day.
She further noted the racial and social disparities underlying these environmental challenges, pointing out that the lack of green space can be a matter of life and death for many New Yorkers.
After the press conference, participants proceeded to a nearby waterfront area where they planted three trees in hopes of revitalizing the industrial landscape and contributing to cleaner air and shade for the community.
Despite these efforts, city data reveals that merely planting a few trees yearly will not suffice in addressing the significant deficit of green space in Bronx Community Districts 1-6.
For example, Community Board 2 in the South Bronx has less than 8% tree canopy coverage, a stark contrast to the citywide average of 22%. Meanwhile, Community Board 1 maintains a 14% canopy.
These discrepancies have far-reaching impacts on residents’ health, with higher rates of asthma, air pollution exposure, and heat-related mortality reported in neighborhoods with minimal green space.
Environmental advocate Josh Otero, senior manager at the Natural Areas Conservancy, echoed the call for increased funding and staff, aiming to meet the Urban Forest Plan’s goal of achieving a 30% urban tree canopy across the city.
Otero emphasized, “ Some of our most heat vulnerable, and flood prone neighborhoods are also the ones with the least amount of healthy green space.”
He spoke about the need to care for existing parks and support community-led initiatives seeking to enhance local green areas and waterways.
To gather input from Bronxites and New Yorkers regarding their visions for parks and green spaces, the Natural Areas Conservancy has created a live online survey accessible through urbanforestplan.nyc and plans an in-person meeting at Hostos Community College on May 5 at 6 p.m.
In collaboration with public partners, the Natural Areas Conservancy is actively engaged in identifying community-driven solutions to the city’s urban tree canopy needs, such as the restoration of the Oak Point waterfront.
Once the largest illegal dump, this area has been cleaned up by developer Steven Smith of Oak Point Properties, creating a new green space accessible for public use.
John Vallacchi, environmental program manager for The Bronx is Blooming, noted that the additional trees planted at Oak Point would have thrived in the area 200 years ago.
Two of these trees, River Birches, are expected to grow significantly, reaching heights of up to 60 feet in the next few years, while the Red Bud will add vibrant pink blossoms and attract pollinators at a peak height of around 35 feet.
These tree planting initiatives foster not only environmental recovery but also underscore the critical necessity for enhanced funding and resources to promote health equity through greener urban landscapes in the Bronx.
image source from：https://www.bxtimes.com/gibson-calls-for-a-shadier-bronx-with-trees/
