Tell Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Council: Fund New York City’s parks and urban forest

A pedestrian and a person on a bike wait at a city intersection. Looking down the street, one can see a long city block that is shaded by a thick tree canopy from trees that line either side of the street, creating a tunnel-like effect.

As Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Council finalize this year’s City budget, now is a pivotal moment to invest in, grow and protect the trees, parks and natural areas that keep our neighborhoods healthy and livable.

Trees and green space are essential city infrastructure. They cool our streets, reduce flooding, clean the air, lower energy costs, and offer free, safe places to play and gather. Much of this comes from the tree canopy—the umbrella‑like layer of leaves and branches that stretches over our sidewalks, parks and neighborhoods, providing vital shade and helping keep temperatures down across the city.

Yet years of chronic underfunding and staffing cuts have weakened the NYC Parks workforce responsible for caring for more than half of this canopy on our streets and in our parks. NYC Parks manages nearly 14% of the land in NYC but has received well under 1% of the city budget for decades. From 2023 to 2026, NYC Parks lost more than 600 staff positions, with 100 more slated for elimination this year. These losses have real consequences: fewer people to plant and prune trees, restore natural areas, monitor the health of the urban forest, and run the programs that connect communities to the green spaces they rely on.

And this year, the City recently released its first-ever Urban Forest Plan as required by Local Law 148 passed in 2023. The plan charts a comprehensive roadmap to equitably reach 30% tree canopy coverage citywide. But the plan will not succeed without the workforce and stable funding necessary to carry it out.

We need you to speak up now.

Tell Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Council* to invest at least $150 million in this year’s budget to rebuild NYC Parks’ workforce and support the first-ever Urban Forest Plan.

* Your letter will be delivered to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the following NYC Council members: Julie Menin, Shaun Abreu, Linda Lee, Nantasha Williams, Kevin Riley, Eric Dinowitz, Yusef Salaam, Virginia Maloney, Sandra Ung, Shekar Krishnan, Lynn Schulman, Phil Wong, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Crystal Hudson, Chi Ossé, Chris Banks, Susan Zhuang, Mercedes Narcisse, Kamillah Hanks, David Carr

Dear Mayor Mamdani and NYC Council Members:

I urge you to prioritize funding for NYC Parks and the urban forest in this year’s City budget, including a $150 million investment to rebuild the NYC Parks workforce and kickstart the City’s new NYC Urban Forest Plan.

Our parks, trees and natural areas cool our neighborhoods, reduce flooding, clean our air, lower energy costs, and provide free, safe places for New Yorkers to enjoy—benefits that are essential as the city faces increasing climate risks. Yet NYC Parks has received well under 1% of the City budget for decades, despite managing more than half of the city’s tree canopy and 14% of its land.

Years of staffing cuts and underinvestment have strained the workforce responsible for caring for the green spaces we rely on.

This spring, New York City released its first-ever Urban Forest Plan — a major step forward for protecting, expanding and caring for the city’s 7+ million trees. But without dedicated, stable funding, the 10-year plan cannot be implemented. The proposed $150 million is essential to restore NYC Parks positions, expand the forestry and natural areas workforce, increase tree planting, and support the cross‑agency coordination the plan requires.

As you finalize the budget, please ensure the City has the resources needed to maintain and grow our urban forest, improve park stewardship, and deliver the environmental and public‑health benefits all communities deserve.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to a healthier, greener city.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State or Province}

This letter will be delivered via email to:

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

NYC Council Members on the Budget Negotiating Team*

I support funding for NYC’s parks and urban forest

Dear Mayor Mamdani and NYC Council Members:

I urge you to prioritize funding for NYC Parks and the urban forest in this year’s City budget, including a $150 million investment to rebuild the NYC Parks workforce and kickstart the City’s new NYC Urban Forest Plan.

Our parks, trees and natural areas cool our neighborhoods, reduce flooding, clean our air, lower energy costs, and provide free, safe places for New Yorkers to enjoy—benefits that are essential as the city faces increasing climate risks. Yet NYC Parks has received well under 1% of the City budget for decades, despite managing more than half of the city’s tree canopy and 14% of its land.

Years of staffing cuts and underinvestment have strained the workforce responsible for caring for the green spaces we rely on.

This spring, New York City released its first-ever Urban Forest Plan—a major step forward for protecting, expanding and caring for the city’s 7+ million trees. But without dedicated, stable funding, the 10-year plan cannot be implemented. The proposed $150 million is essential to restore NYC Parks positions, expand the forestry and natural areas workforce, increase tree planting, and support the cross‑agency coordination the plan requires.

As you finalize the budget, please ensure the City has the resources needed to maintain and grow our urban forest, improve park stewardship, and deliver the environmental and public‑health benefits all communities deserve.

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to a healthier, greener city.

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