Source: US State of New York
The Trees for NYCHA project was made possible by funds from three OAG settlements with polluters, including:
- $663,738 from a 2007 Clean Air Act settlement with American Electric Power Service Corporation;
- $59,500 from a 2023 settlement with Reliant Transportation over unlawful bus idling; and
- $26,762 from a 2022 settlement with Verizon over practices contributing to the spread of Legionnaires’ disease.
The project has a total of four elements: tree plantings, workforce development, tree stewardship, and youth environmental education.
- Tree Planting: 340 trees are being planted across NYCHA properties, and 59 additional trees are being planted in adjacent communities near NYCHA campuses.
- Workforce Development: In partnership with Green City Force, the project has trained young adults from low-income communities in environmental and green job skills.
- Tree Stewardship: Volunteers have been trained to care for the new trees, ensuring the sustainability of the expanded canopy.
- Youth Engagement: Public school students near NYCHA campuses have participated in hands-on environmental education and tree care activities, linking ecology to academic enrichment.
NYCHA is the largest Public Housing Authority in the nation, housing one in 17 New Yorkers. NYCHA is also the second largest owner of open space in the city, owning over 2,400 acres and supporting approximately 1,000 acres of tree canopy. In New York City, there is generally less tree canopy cover in areas with lower-income housing and higher proportions of people of color. In neighborhoods with clusters of NYCHA developments, these developments are often the primary source of canopy cover in the neighborhood. In recent years, resource constraints and climate-driven damage have led to canopy loss. Trees for NYCHA has helped reverse this trend while empowering residents as partners in environmental restoration.
The OAG would like to thank NYCHA and Trees New York for their partnership and collaboration.
This project was handled for the Office of the Attorney General by Policy Advisor Peter C. Washburn of the Environmental Protection Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The Environmental Protection Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.