New York City is developing its first Urban Forest Plan which will outline a unified vision for the citywide urban forest and chart actionable strategies to expand the city’s tree canopy.

The urban forest includes the more than seven million trees that span New York City’s streets, yards, parks, campuses, businesses, and natural areas. It’s an important part of our city, meant to be accessible to all.

The Urban Forest Plan is being led by the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) in collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks), City Parks Foundation, Partnership for Parks, Natural Areas Conservancy, and The Nature Conservancy.

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.

City trees purify the air we breathe, improve human health and well-being, beautify neighborhoods, and can even manage stormwater. They can also keep us safer and more comfortable on hot days, shading and cooling us and providing protection from harmful ultra-violet sun rays.

Trees in New York City provide $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, reducing stormwater runoff by 69 million cubic feet.

Share your input through the Urban Forest Plan Questionnaire or join a local event!