I’m Meaghan McElroy, Communications Associate for Regional Plan Association. RPA has been working toward a better future for our tri-state region for over 100 years; in the recent past, that work has been focused on creating a sustainable, healthier, and more equitable place for people to live.

RPA is in support of Int 1066-2023 and Int 1065-2023, measures that would not only create an Urban Forest Master Plan for New York City but encourage and monitor the urban canopy’s health and growth for years to come. Street trees are important to the urban landscape beyond their aesthetic value – they’re valuable resources to help cool our streets, mitigate the heat island effect, contribute to better air quality, and capture stormwater runoff, among numerous other benefits as detailed in our reports ​“Re-Envisioning the Right-of-Way” and ​“Preventing Another Ida.”

The proposed bills would be great steps towards ensuring that urban trees and other vegetation are used as tools in long-term sustainability planning and would help fulfill Eric Adams’ PlaNYC 30% canopy goal for the city. However, these goals need timelines in order to ensure they’re actionable and on track in the years to come. We encourage the Committee to establish a timeline for 30% canopy cover, ideally reaching that number by 2035.

Additionally, it’s imperative that the Committee pay special attention to making sure the street canopy is equitably distributed across the boroughs, with special attention to environmental justice communities. Historically, lower levels of tree canopy are in neighborhoods with lower access to wealth and neighborhoods with higher proportions of people of color – and higher levels of vulnerability to extreme heat. It’s imperative that the Committee ensures vulnerable communities benefit from any future master plan.

Maintaining and increasing the urban canopy is an incredible way to build our city’s climate resilience, improve our neighbors’ health, and create a more equitable city. We encourage the Committee to sign Int 1066-2023 and Int 1065-2023 into law and to ensure that these plans are executed in a timely and just manner.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony and to the Committee for hearing these bills.