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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Karen Horvat, President of NYC Tree Pit Services, on Urban Forestry and Parks Funding
3:03:15
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Karen Horvat, President of NYC Tree Pit Services, testifies on the importance of increasing funding for urban forestry and parks in New York City. She emphasizes the need for resources to achieve the city's 30% canopy coverage goal and maintain existing trees.
- Calls for funding for the urban forest plan, including lidar dataset and updated street tree census
- Highlights the importance of trees for clean air, water, and combating climate change
- Urges the council and mayor to prioritize investment in the city's urban forest for the future
Karen Horvat
3:03:15
Thank you, speaker Krishnan, and the members of the council who have been deeply committed to our parks and open spaces.
3:03:23
My name is Karen Horvat, and I'm president of NYC Tree Pit Services.
3:03:27
We're a for profit social enterprise contractor and a member of the Forest for All NYC Coalition.
3:03:34
NYC Tree Pit Services plants street trees.
3:03:38
We expand tree beds, we install tree guards, and we perform other services that help our street trees live to their fullest potential.
3:03:45
So we've been fighting for years to increase our trees our city's tree canopy coverage.
3:03:50
We were very pleased in 2023 with local law one forty eight, which codified that goal of 30% canopy coverage equitably and citywide.
3:04:00
But I think the thing is goal setting is really just the very first step.
3:04:04
So I'm calling on the council and the mayor to provide the funding so that our urban forest plan has a chance to succeed.
3:04:13
We need to get past this issue of persistently underfunding the Parks Department, specifically in the areas of urban forestry.
3:04:20
We need forestry staff just to care for the canopy that we have that's existing which has taken us decades to establish.
3:04:28
We need funding for the urban forest plan including the lidar dataset so that we can track the change in canopy coverage over time.
3:04:35
We need for the updated street tree census which lets us put a monetary value on our urban forest and it also helps us to more efficiently support our urban forest.
3:04:45
And finally, need restoration of the parks programs and staff, which have been severely cut since 2023 to levels that are far below our international peers.
3:04:57
Our street trees are the gateways to our communities.
3:05:00
They're a gathering place, a source of pride, silently standing guard over our busy New York lives, but they cannot speak for themselves.
3:05:08
I know that the budget must address many important priorities of the city, but what good are many of these things if we don't have clean air and water?
3:05:16
Our planet is warming rapidly and trees are a long term investment.
3:05:20
So please, fight for us, invest now in the future of the city and its people.
3:05:25
Thank you.