TESTIMONY
Sarah Evans, Director of the Living Collection at Green-Wood Cemetery, on Green-Wood Cemetery's Role in Supporting Climate Resilience and Environmental Justice in Brooklyn
7:10:35
·
129 sec
Sarah Evans testifies on Green-Wood Cemetery's contributions as a large green space and arboretum in Brooklyn, detailing its climate resilience efforts and role in the local community.
- The cemetery plans to increase its tree canopy cover from 32% to 35% by planting 2,000 more trees.
- It partners with the U.S. Forest Service to survey for invasive beetle species that could damage urban forests.
- As part of the Forest for All NYC coalition, it advocates for equitably expanding and maintaining the city's urban forests.
- Located near the underserved Sunset Park neighborhood, it provides environmental benefits to this environmental justice community.
Sarah Evans
7:10:35
Good afternoon.
7:10:36
My name is Sarah Evans, and I am the director of the living collection at Greenwood Cemetery, which is a national historic landmark, arboretum, and a 4 seventy acre green space in the heart of Brooklyn.
7:10:48
Like our public parks, Greenwood is open 365 days a year.
7:10:53
With free access to the public.
7:10:55
And just like our public parks, Greenwood needs support on funding through the Parks equity initiative.
7:11:00
As New York's largest contiguous private landowner, Greenwood is committed to leveraging our acreage to support the climate resilience of the city.
7:11:08
We have over 8000 trees and we'll plant 2000 more over the next few years to grow our canopy cover from 32% to 35%.
7:11:17
Greenwood's neighbor is the thriving community of Sunset Park, an environmental justice area underserved economically, culturally, and environmentally for decades.
7:11:27
Which underscores the importance of our dedication to supporting a collection of healthy climate resilient trees.
7:11:34
1 of Greenwood's longest standing research conservation projects is a partnership with the United States Forest Service, where we survey and scout for Beatles in order to catch newly introduced species that have the potential to cause catastrophic damage to our city and wild forests like the Emerald Dashboard has done.
7:11:53
With New York City being an epicenter of international trade, its urban forest held in its parks, cultural institutions, and wild areas, stands on the front lines of invasive species detection and management.
7:12:06
This is only one of the many reasons, as we've heard, previous to my testimony.
7:12:11
Why the city's funding for these spaces and workers that steward them is so critical?
7:12:16
Greenwood is proud to be one of a 140 member organizations of the forest for all New York City coalition, which is committed to jestly and equitably protect, maintain, and expand the urban forests.
7:12:29
And I stand with our colleagues in the coalition to urge the city council to invest in green spaces and organizations like Greenwood that offer initiatives for climate resilience, environmental justice, and community engagement.
7:12:43
Thank you.
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