At the rate of the LIRR decimating mature, healthy and stable trees in Forest Hills, which have not fallen since their planting a century ago, it may EXCEED the rate of the tornado’s destruction upon our trees last September.
In this case, rather than pruning a tree to promote healthy growth, the Long Island Rail Road figures just chop down our trees!
On June 18, the LIRR commissioned the ironically-titled Looks Great Services (“LI’s Favorite Tree Care Co”), who rudely awakened the Forest Hills Gardens community decimating a healthy, historic century old oak tree.
This follows in the footsteps of the countless trees the LIRR decimated in 2007. All that remains is a massive stump.
True that the trees are owned by the LIRR, but the larger picture is their membership in the natural environment, and the people who admire their historic beauty and realize their means of purifying air and buffering noise from accelerating trains.
We urgently request a meeting and a public hearing from the LIRR, and want the LIRR and its commissioned companies to further halt tree destruction. New trees must be planted in place of those that prematurely perished, although there is no replacement for a mature tree. Our politicians need to join us in this movement.
Michael Perlman,
Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council
Forest Hills
