Q&A
Parks Department staffing and wildfire prevention
1:12:13
·
164 sec
Council Member Restler engages in a discussion with Matt Drury from the Parks Department about staffing levels in the Natural Resources Division and their impact on wildfire prevention and response to extreme weather events.
- Inquires about current staffing levels in the Natural Resources Division
- Discusses reported reductions in headcount and their potential impact on wildfire prevention
- Explores the connection between staffing levels and the department's ability to respond to extreme weather events
- Suggests the Parks Department should provide more information on how increased staffing could improve wildfire prevention and preparedness
Matt Drury
1:12:13
I can certainly talk a little bit from the park's perspective because, in in in large part, it kind of falls within the confines of our, what we I would call our sort of natural area management sort of strategy.
1:12:23
So, for example, the the agency routinely executes, what you might call, reforestation or or other sort of managed projects to kind of clear away invasive species.
Lincoln Restler
1:12:34
I have to ask, what's the current staffing level of your natural resources division?
Matt Drury
1:12:39
You know, I'd have to get back to, to you with that number.
1:12:41
I don't have that off hand.
Robert Holden
1:12:41
Is it
Lincoln Restler
1:12:41
merely under where we've been in previous years?
Matt Drury
1:12:45
I don't in terms of headcount, I don't know that I I don't know that I would say it's severely under.
1:12:50
Maybe It's been
Lincoln Restler
1:12:50
reported in Hellgate and other places that where the headcount in Natural Resources Division is way down in the Parks Department, just like it is across the agency, but particularly notable within that division.
Matt Drury
1:13:00
You know, like any other agency dealing with finite resources, you know, I think we this is a question of how they're deployed and and being, you know, smart about that.
1:13:08
There's no denying that obviously PIGS in the last, couple, cycles, you know, are are are sort of playing out.
1:13:14
And as, you know, we look forward to kind of this new budget cycle to kind of retain and restore that, that's, you know, it's a project that we're in ongoing conversations about with OMB and others.
Lincoln Restler
1:13:22
Do you think that the reduction in headcount that you've suffered within that division has undermined or limited your ability to respond to these extreme weather events?
Matt Drury
1:13:31
No.
1:13:31
I don't I don't believe that's the case.
1:13:33
I mean, I think, obviously, what we were looking at, most recently here is obviously, you know, significant, drought conditions that as noted hadn't been seen in the city for for 2 over 2 decades.
1:13:43
So, I mean, I I do I don't know that I would, connect those 2 in terms of causation.
Lincoln Restler
1:13:48
No.
1:13:49
But okay.
1:13:50
So you don't think that the lack of staffing had would have prevented some of the wildfires that we saw in parks of New York City this year?
Matt Drury
1:14:00
You know, I I think it's you know, it's FDNY's response times, the the the weather, the But people There's so many other sort of, like, variables that come into play in terms of how a wildfire happens and what happens after it happens that it's, you know, I think, you know, drawing too direct a line to any individual factor.
1:14:17
Sure.
1:14:18
It is, you know, probably not exactly
Lincoln Restler
1:14:19
I think that's fair, although I think it would behoove the parks department to share with our parks committee and and with council, with Council Finance what we could do with more staffing and how we could do a better job of preparing and preventing our parks from being, as vulnerable to wildfires, considering these are new realities that we have to deal with.
1:14:40
We can't wish them away.
1:14:42
Can I ask the DEP team about the increased risks of flooding that occur when we're in a drought condition and what we can do to try to ensure that our resiliency is maintained or strengthened during these vulnerable periods?
