PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Emily Walker, Senior Manager of External Affairs at Natural Areas Conservancy
1:55:22
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Emily Walker from the Natural Areas Conservancy expresses concern about recent brush fires in NYC parks and the impact of budget cuts on forest management positions. She emphasizes the need for increased funding and staffing to maintain and protect natural areas in the face of climate change.
- Highlights the elimination of 51 forest management positions and the precarious situation of 22 positions shifted to federal grant funding
- Stresses the importance of adequately staffed natural areas for public safety and ecological resilience
- Calls for urgent action from city leaders to invest in natural areas management to mitigate climate-related risks
Emily Walker
1:55:22
Alright.
1:55:22
Good afternoon.
1:55:23
My name is Emily Walker and I'm the senior manager of external affairs at the Natural Areas Conservancy.
1:55:28
Thank you chairs for the opportunity to speak today.
1:55:31
As champions for NYC's natural areas, we care deeply about the care and condition of our forests and we're alarmed to see the devastating impacts of drought conditions last fall, which led to the spate of brush fires in parks and natural areas across the 5 boroughs.
1:55:44
The timing of the drought as we've discussed, and brush fires happened to coincide with the elimination of 51 forest management positions for the natural resources group in the FY 25 adopted budget for parks.
1:55:55
These positions constituted approximately 80% of the agency's workforce that care for our 14,000 acres of natural areas and forests in our city's parks.
1:56:04
As a stop gap measure to keep critical staff in place in the wake of the FY 25 budget cuts, 22 of the eliminated staff lines were shifted on to federal grant funding via the Inflation Reduction Act.
1:56:14
With this week's freeze on federal grants, these positions are once again in peril.
1:56:19
This precarious staffing for the division of parks that plays such a critical role in contributing to the climate health of our city reflects a shameful lack of urgency from our decision makers, and we are here today to ask that the council take the strongest stand possible to ensure that this funding is made whole in the f y 26 budget.
1:56:35
The brush fires are a stark reminder of the city's vulnerability to climate change and the city's ongoing failure to invest critical funding for natural areas management.
1:56:43
We strongly believe that better staffed and maintained natural areas are safer for public access and more ecologically resilient.
1:56:50
While improved staffing wouldn't have prevented the drought, parks has for too long been operating with minimal resources to do critical management, restoration, and monitoring in our natural areas during this era of climate instability.
1:57:01
With increased staffing, NRG would be able to do more work to control and suppress the spread of invasive species that leave our forests more vulnerable to fire.
1:57:08
Adequate staff is also now critically needed to ensure that fire locations can be restored and monitored appropriately.
1:57:14
The fire is made clear that it is more urgent than ever that our city's leaders take meaningful action by adequately funding the care of our natural areas.
1:57:21
We know that healthier forests help create a healthier climate and that failing to invest in our natural areas will leave the city more vulnerable to flooding, extreme heat, and now fire.
1:57:30
Thank you.