An urban forest plan.

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to an urban forest plan

This bill would require an agency selected by the Mayor, in consultation with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, and other relevant government agencies and entities to create an Urban Forest Plan that aims to help the City expand the tree canopy from the current 22% coverage to 30% coverage. The plan would be required to evaluate the distribution, health, and stability of the City’s urban forest, identify the causes of tree canopy cover and urban forest gain or reduction, and recommend strategies to remediate any urban forest loss, as well as prevent similar loss in the future and facilitate gain in the tree canopy. It would also include an outreach plan to educate real property owners by providing them with information and strategies on how to protect and expand the trees and vegetation located on private property. The plan would also require the City to collect LIDaR data to monitor the effectiveness of the plan and the condition of the tree canopy at least every 5 years. Finally, the plan would be required to be submitted to the Mayor and Council and be updated every 10 years.