As the season transitions from summer to autumn, it is very important that the Department of Parks & Recreation prune many of the trees in the city’s parks and along its streets.
While every single tree cannot be pruned, there are those that are in serious need of pruning to reduce the risk of injury to people or damage to property. Also, those trees that are dead or dying need to be removed as quickly as possible.
While the city is dealing with a fiscal crisis, it is important to maintain the trees in our parks and along our streets. There are over 1 million trees within the city and its parks, and some of them have stood for over 100 years. They give us needed shade in the summer and beautiful, colorful mosaics of changing leaves in the fall. Our evergreen trees grace us with their winter beauty when snow accumulates upon them, adding to the festive feeling of every holiday season.
Trees are our cathedrals of nature, soaring high above streets and homes. They also give off oxygen and take in carbon dioxide, which cleanses the air, and also retain soil from eroding on the sides of our roadways and hills. Let us work to maintain our trees so that they can be enjoyed by many future generations of New Yorkers.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
