BILL NUMBER:  S6901

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act in relation to requiring the department of
environmental conservation to review the policies of the department of
parks and recreation of the city of New York regarding trees and tree
maintenance

 PURPOSE :

To require the Department of Environmental Conservation to review the
policies of the Department of Parks and Recreation of the city of New
York regarding trees and trees maintenance.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of this bill states that notwithstanding any other rule,
regulation or policy to the contrary, the Department of Environmental
Conservation shall review and provide oversight to the Department of
Parks and Recreation of the city of New York in relation to city-owned
trees, tree maintenance, care and cultivation of such trees, and any
other matters the Department of Environmental Conservation deems
necessary.

Section 2 of this bill states that this act shall take effect
immediately.

              

 JUSTIFICATION :

For years there has been an increasing number of serious injuries and
deaths resulting from falling trees in New York City parks. For
example, in Bryant Park on September 4, 2015 a large tree branch fell
on top of five people, injuring three of them seriously. In 2013, a
young woman, Yingyi Li-Dikov-6 months pregnant with her first child,
was killed when she was struck by a falling tree in Kissena Park in
Queens. Between 2010-2013 there were at least 4 deaths that resulted
from diseased or damaged trees that had fallen.

Public properties belonging to the city of New York are home to
thousands of trees in varying states of health. The city is
responsible for maintaining these trees so that they remain healthy
and do not pose extraordinary dangers to public safety and property.

Due to widespread concerns that New York City's policies on the care
and maintenance of trees is not sufficient to protect the public from
unsafe trees, and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent in
the most efficient and effective manner, the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation should be granted regulatory authority
to investigate the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's
policies on tree maintenance.

This bill would authorize the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation to exercise oversight of the New York City
Department of Parks and Recreation concerning the care and maintenance
of city trees.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.