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NYC Parks will stop taking individual tree-planting requests and shift to neighborhood block plantings
Summary
Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Greenfeld told the January Burrow Board that NYC Parks will cease taking individual public-service tree-planting requests on its website and instead implement neighborhood- and block-level plantings on a multi-year cycle to address a backlog and improve efficiency.
Jennifer Greenfeld, deputy commissioner for environment and planning and parks, told the January Burrow Board that the New York City Department of Parks will stop accepting individual public-service tree-planting requests via the department website and instead move to neighborhood- and block-level plantings.
Greenfeld said Parks can plant roughly 18,000 trees a year given current staffing and contractor capacity and is managing a citywide service-request backlog of more than 42,000 sites. "We're ceasing taking public service requests," she said, describing the shift as an effort to provide more predictable, comprehensive maintenance rather than one-off plantings.
Why it matters: Parks officials said the block-focused approach will allow crews to remove stumps, expand tree pits, plant in contiguous empty beds and coordinate with community stewards, rather than responding to isolated requests at irregular intervals. Greenfeld said the program will prioritize heat-vulnerability zones and will operate on a multi-year rotation, with the department aiming to reach each community board within a multi-year cycle.
During questions from board members, Parks staff offered clarifications. Greenfeld said the change is not intended to remove other services: pruning, removals and sidewalk-repair programs remain funded and operational. She also said council-funded tree allocations continue for certain purposes but cautioned that planting capacity — not funding alone — limits how many plantings can occur. Greenfeld referenced council funding and said Parks allocates about "1000000 dollars a year of first time approval" toward planting-related activities.
Parks described customer-facing changes: the web form for requesting a tree will redirect to public maps that show planned neighborhood plantings, and requesters will receive emails explaining why one-off requests are being closed and where neighborhood plantings will occur. Greenfeld invited community boards to work with Parks on messaging and offered to tailor web text for local constituents.
Board members pressed on operational details: Parks said it currently works through roughly 12–14 contracts citywide and will use those contracts during the transition while longer-term capital procurements are bid. Parks also addressed species selection and sidewalk concerns, saying it no longer plants certain species (for example, "silver maple" was cited) that cause disproportionate sidewalk damage and that inspections will prioritize trip hazards for repair.
On maintenance, Parks said crews water newly planted trees until roots establish and that the agency stopped using green watering bags because they were misused or became an eyesore. For residents with long-standing 311 cases, Parks said some programs can patch or prioritize individual instances when the neighborhood schedule reaches the area.
What happens next: Parks indicated the transition has already begun in some areas, maps are available publicly, and staff will continue outreach with community boards to explain timing and site selection. The department did not present a formal board motion; the change was announced as a Parks operational policy and no board vote on the matter is recorded in the transcript.
