SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DELIVER $5 MILLION IN HISTORIC URBAN FOREST FUNDING FOR QUEENS; SECURED BY THE SENATORS IN THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PLANT TREES TO GROW URBAN FOREST IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS & PROVIDE TRAINING FOR GOOD-PAYING, GREEN JOBS

These Fed Funds Will Maximize Access To Urban Forest In Historically Disadvantaged Communities, Including Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona, Queens

Schumer, Gillibrand Secured Historic Funding For Urban and Community Forest Program In The Inflation Reduction Act – The Largest Investment In Fighting Climate Change Ever – And Now New Trees Will Be Planted And Existing Trees Preserved Thanks To Fed Funding They Secured

Schumer, Gillibrand: Inflation Reduction Act Is Planting The Seed For A Healthier, Cleaner, And Greener NYC!

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $5 million in federal funding for New York City Parks through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry grants program. Specifically, NYC Parks will maximize access to urban forest benefits for disadvantaged communities in Queens, NY. This includes expanding the urban forest by planting trees and preserving existing trees. The project also offers paid training and employment opportunities for youth and adults, with a focus on workforce development and green jobs.

“I am proud to announce Queens is amongst the first in the nation to tap the historic funding I secured in the Inflation Reduction Act to expand urban forests,” said Senator Schumer. “This federal investment means cleaner air, a better environment, improved quality of life, and rooting out historic inequities that have been present in NYC neighborhoods. I fought hard to plant this funding in the Inflation Reduction Act so that New York City could have access to funding needed to breathe new life into underserved communities.”

“Expanding access to trees and green spaces in New York City will give our communities a higher quality of life. I’m so proud to deliver this $5 million investment in Inflation Reduction Act funding, which will help combat extreme heat and improve air quality,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This money will help bring new life to the island where families can enjoy a greener, healthier environment.”

"Hundreds of New Yorkers die every year from heat-related causes, primarily in neighborhoods that lack tree cover," said New York Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Chair of the Committee on Parks & Recreation. "This $5 million federal grant – for which Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, parks advocates, and I fought hard to bring to Queens – will not only expand our urban forest, but also protect our communities against catastrophic heat and floods and create green jobs. More money for more trees will move us towards a greener, healthier, and more resilient New York City for all."

“Queens, the most diverse borough in the world, deserves more trees. It's home to some of the most heat and flood vulnerable communities in New York City, and trees are an essential part of how those communities grow more resilient to the threats of climate change,” said Emily Nobel Maxwell, Cities Director for The Nature Conservancy in New York, convener of Forest for All NYC. “The Nature Conservancy and Forest for All NYC, with its over 110 organizational members, are grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, as well as City Council Parks Committee Chair Shekar Krishnan, for their leadership in delivering vital funding to help protect and expand the urban forest and to the organizations on the ground who will put this funding to work to set us on the path to at least 30% tree canopy by 2035, equitably.”

The senators said that when a neighborhood lacks trees it can lead to a variety of problems, from increased air pollution and urban heat islands, to poor health outcomes. Schumer and Gillibrand said that the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in fighting climate change, has finally created the robust funding needed to maximize access to urban forests in cities across New York. Urban and community forests cool neighborhoods, improve psychological wellbeing, keep electricity costs down, have positive impacts on property values, and help residents avoid the severe health impacts associated with heat waves, Schumer and Gillibrand explained.

The Inflation Reduction Act included $1.5 billion over the next 10 years for the U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry program, more than five times the usual level of funding.

The Queens project details are below: