STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Part of Staten Island’s appeal to the wider boroughs (beyond the Staten Island Ferry and the food) are the sheer number of parks and trees the borough houses.
Trees line our streets, parking lots, and, of course, our parks. Beyond their visual appeal, Staten Island’s trees offer something to residents that other boroughs can’t wholly relate to: an abundance of shade.
The tree canopy provided by the leaves and branches is part of New York City’s wider commitment to building a sustainable heat repellant.
Which, of course, is welcome during a sweat-soaked summer, such as this one.
According to the Urban Forest Plan, “Trees play a critical role in reducing outdoor temperatures. Urban trees can cool city streets up to 2°F, while forested natural areas are on average 6°F cooler than surrounding neighborhoods.”
Furthermore, New York City trees offer “$260 million in benefits and services every year: including removing 1,100 tons of air pollution, providing energy savings equivalent to the annual use of 8,000 homes, and reducing stormwater runoff by 69 million cubic feet.”
The goal for the five boroughs is presently to get a tree canopy that covers 30% of the city in the next decade. Per the last update in 2021 via the Urban Forest Plan, 23.4% of the tree canopy has been established.
But keeping the heat off the necks of New Yorkers isn’t the only thing the tree canopy offers.
“Trees mitigate that environmental damage, the impact of increased car traffic and such… The closer you are to parks, the more valuable your home is considered. So, New York City also has a goal of everybody in the city should live within a 10-minute walk of a park. [In] Staten Island that’s not as difficult, but in other boroughs planting trees, creating parks, is going to help the city achieve that goal — and we know here on the borough of parks, how important parks are,” explained Cliff Hagen, an environmentalist and Democratic candidate for the South Shore City Council seat.
Trees, Hagen said, also “help minimize storm damage” and ease the number of asthma cases on Staten Island.
That’s why Hagen is involved with the lawsuit to axe congestion pricing in Manhattan, as he says “it’s going to poison the air” we breathe and “probably increase asthma.”
“These trees are important for us. For as homeowners, as a community, these trees help us. They keep us healthy, and they keep us wealthy,” Hagen said.
How to reach out
“As a born-and-raised Staten Islander, I know the issues that plague borough residents, whether it be torn-up sidewalks or unplowed streets,” said Reporter Jillian Delaney. (Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel) STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
I want to hear from all of you about the things that don’t make national headlines, but are of utmost importance to Staten Islanders.
If you’d like to reach out, please email me at jdelaney@siadvance. Put “#fyiSI” in the email subject line and include your name, neighborhood and contact phone number.
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