Enacts the "New York urban and community tree planting and forestry program act"

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Kevin S. Parker says this is needed

Trees are essential for climate change and climate justice in ways that many New Yorkers are unaware of. With the implementation of a statewide tree planting and forestry program, New Yorkers will be better educated and equipped to take advantage of that plenary ecological, health and climate associated benefits of trees. The benefits of trees include, but are not limited to: 1. Positive impacts on air pollution mitigation, flood reduction, heat island mitigation, carbon storage, and wildlife habitats. 2. Improvement of air quality by trapping and removing particulate pollutants, like dust, ash, pollen and smoke, which can damage human lungs. 3. The presence of trees provides increases in value to properties for individual homeowners, commercial property owners, and municipalities. 4. Trees reduce the amount of energy needed to heat or cool our build- ings. 5. Trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. 6. Greater tree canopy reduces the rate of childhood asthma. An increase of 343 trees per kilometer was associated with a 29% lower early child- hood prevalence of asthma in New York City. In particular, underserved and urban communities of NYC are the ones mostly impacted from the lack of tree planting and are thus more suscep- tible to global warming. Shade from trees can prolong can cool communi- ties and minimizes the heat load of asphalt, lessening the blow in urban environments.These mostly African-American and Latino communities bear the disproportionate brunt of the urban heat effects of climate change, which was highlighted in NYC this summer with two week long heat weaves. This act requires that at least 40% and no less than 45% of all program benefits go to underserved communities. This is why this legislation is most pivotal for New York.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.