On April 26, NYSDEC and the NYS Office of General Services (OGS) hosted a ceremony in honor of Arbor Day 2019. The gathering included members of the State Arbor Day Committee and state and local officials, including Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. A London planetree (Platanus x acerifolia) was planted on the State Street side of East Capitol Park, near the corner of the Capitol Building, to replace one that was lost during a storm. (Each year, a tree is planted ceremonially on the Capitol grounds).
Also in this update from the Governor’s office:
DEC Honored with 10-Year Achievement in Sustainable Forest Management Status for Forest Certification
Student and State Arbor Day Poster Contest Winners Announced
Highlighting Albany’s 16th Year as a Tree City USA
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced $2.2 million in grants for tree planting and community forestry projects across New York. In honor of National Arbor Day, Governor Cuomo proclaimed Arbor Day in New York State along with the joint grant announcement from the State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Markets, and the Office of General Services. The 2018 New York State Arbor Day Proclamation can be viewed here.
Hosted by NYS DEC, the 11th annual Tree City/Line/Campus USA Recognition Ceremony was held on March 30, 2016 in Albany. These programs were created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters to recognize the stewardship of urban forests by communities. New York State has 108 Tree City USAs, 6 Tree Line USA utilities, and 18 Tree Campus USAs. A complete list of all New York Tree City USA and Tree Campus communities is posted on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4957.html.
This was New York’s biggest ceremony yet, with communities from all of the nine DEC regions attending. One of the highlights was when NYSUFC founder Nancy Wolf was recognized with an Urban Forestry Award for being so pivotal in starting the urban forestry movement in our State.
Savvy community forestry programs are always on the lookout for funding opportunities. One avenue is through two urban forestry related programs of TD Bank: TD Tree Days, and TD Green Streets. Through TD Tree Days, City of Albany Forester Tom Pfeiffer and College of St. Rose Instructor and Science Education Problem-Based Learning Coordinator Mary Cosgrove received a grant from TD Bank to plant 30 trees in Albany around Hoffman Park. TD Bank volunteers and students and staff from St. Rose, guided by Pfeiffer and his crew from the City of Albany, planted the trees on October 27, 2015.