NYC’s Trees Thirsty: Experts Warn of ‘Street Tree Emergency’ Amid Drought
New York City’s iconic street trees are baking under the unrelenting summer sun, facing a severe drought that experts fear could have devastating long-term consequences. Recent rainfall has done little to quench their thirst, leaving the city’s urban forest on the brink of crisis.
“This drought is unlike anything these trees have ever experienced,” says Matthew Lopez-Jensen, an assistant professor at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, who also serves as an environmental artist and contributing author at the New York State Urban Forestry Council.
“These trees are living in conditions no tree in Manhattan deserves. The heat reflecting off buildings is unbelievable— they are being blasted from all sides."
Lopez-Jensen believes the city is facing a “street tree emergency” with the risk that countless trees could literally "evaporate”. While the Parks Department maintains that its street trees are resilient and can handle urban conditions, they acknowledge that they are closely monitoring the situation.
The CUNY Graduate Center, meanwhile, released a summer study corroborating Lopez-Jensen’s warning, finding urban trees suffer far more from heat waves and drought than their rural counterparts.
The stakes are high. Replacing a dead urban tree can cost around $2,000, according to Lopez-Jensen.
“If just 10,000 of its 660,000 seriously dehydrated trees die of thirst,” he warned in a recent column, “it could cost up to $80,000,000 for removal and new tree planting.”
Council Member Shekar Krishnan echoed Lopez-Jensen’s concerns, tweeting on November 18th:
“With NYC’s drought watch now elevated to a WARNING, our parks and trees—our first line of defense against the climate crisis—are in greater jeopardy. We must act now to protect these vital spaces, the planet, and the workers who care for them.”
In response to the dire situation, the city initiated a drought warning on November 18th, the first since 2002. This declaration asks New Yorkers to voluntarily conserve water, suggesting shorter showers and turning off faucets while brushing teeth. City agencies are also implementing water restrictions, halting fountain refills and postponing replenishing artificial ponds and lakes. Even barbecuing and grilling are temporarily prohibited.
Prospect Park, one of Brooklyn’s finest green spaces, has been particularly hard hit.
A 2-acre fire swept through the woodland Ravine on November 8th, devastating a crucial habitat for hundreds of animal and plant species.
“This damage is devastating,” said a rep for the Prospect Park Alliance, the organization caring for the park. “The Ravine will need major forest restoration efforts, including slope stabilization and replanting extinct natives. This will take three years to complete.”
Wildlife experts are pessimistic, stating that staple park inhabitants like squirrels, birds, and raccoons may take years to return.
The Mayor extended the cracked earth impact further, issuing a directive suspending fleet washing for the Sanitation Department, NYPD, FDNY and the MTA. Parkgoers audaciously hydrating during winter needn’t worry, as drinking fountains are already winterized against pipe freezing.
The bleak outlook extends to the winter holidays: a spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection predicts editorially dry conditions persisting well into the New Year, requiring historically heavy rains to ease the drought.
Meteorologist Christopher Tate agrees, stating that a “miracle” amount of rain is needed for any significant change, noting that “Since we’re expected to receive less than a tenth of an inch between now and the weekend, I don’t think we’ll see any drought relief opportunities soon."
The clock is ticking for New York City’s trees. Will this drought be a wake-up call for greater urban green infrastructure investment?
