PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Leila Mougoui Bakhtiari, Director of Landscape Management at Prospect Park Alliance
1:45:38
ยท
131 sec
Leila Mougoui Bakhtiari, Director of Landscape Management at Prospect Park Alliance, testified about the importance of proper funding and management for natural areas in NYC parks, highlighting a recent fire in Prospect Park. She emphasized the need for dedicated city funding to prevent disasters and maintain park infrastructure.
- Described a 2-alarm fire that devastated 2 acres of Prospect Park's ravine in November 2024
- Outlined the challenges of restoring the damaged area and preventing future incidents
- Stressed that underfunded parks are more susceptible to hazards like tree failures, erosion, and fires
Leila Mougoui Bakhtiari
1:45:38
Good afternoon, everyone.
1:45:40
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
1:45:42
My name is Leilam Gui Bachtheri, and I serve as the director of landscape management for the Prospect Park Alliance, the nonprofit partner of New York City Parks that helps manage Brooklyn's flagship park.
1:45:53
Prospect Park is home to 350 acres of natural areas, including Brooklyn's last remaining upland forest.
1:46:00
I oversee Prospect Park's dedicated team of gardeners, ecologists, forestry technicians, and arborists who preserve and restore the park's natural areas.
1:46:08
The importance of proactive and strategic natural area management was made painfully clear on Friday, November 8, 2024, when a 2 alarm fire devastated 2 acres of the ravine.
1:46:20
Our parks need dedicated city funding for natural area forests
Vickie Paladino
1:46:30
on
Leila Mougoui Bakhtiari
1:46:36
are forests on New York City Parks property.
1:46:38
Prospect Park has more than 10,000,000 annual visits, and 370,000 Brooklynites live in the immediate vicinity of the park.
1:46:48
We're lucky a visitor spotted and reported the fire so quickly or the devastation could have been much more significant.
1:46:55
Thanks to the swift response of FDNY, the fire was contained and extinguished.
1:47:01
However, the damage to this critical habitat left us with significant restoration challenges.
1:47:06
Our team is stabilizing the steep slopes in the affected area to prevent erosion, but full restoration will require years of intensive work and long term monitoring.
1:47:17
Without sufficient funding to prioritize the care and maintenance of our cherished parks, Our ability to prevent such disasters is significantly impaired.
1:47:26
Underfunded parks face delayed maintenance, making them more susceptible to hazards such as tree failures, erosion, and as we've experienced devastating fires.
1:47:36
Parks are essential infrastructure, and without poor, proper investment, their capacity to foster climate resilience, biodiversity, and public well-being is deeply compromised.
1:47:48
Thank you.