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Greening East Harlem: An Urban Forestry Management Plan

This document is a guide to the greening of East Harlem, a community in Northern Manhattan in New York City. The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (Parks) together with community residents developed a vision of a greener, healthier neighborhood. While the plan touches on many aspects of greening in the community, it primarily focuses on planting and caring for street trees.

This plan is informed by a detailed inventory of every existing street tree and all potential planting locations on the streets and in parks. Working with the community, Parks developed a strategy for increasing the tree cover in East Harlem. The overall vision is to increase the health and extent of East Harlem’s urban forest in order to improve the health and well-being of their residents. Two primary goals will help fulfill this vision: (1) Establish a Friends of Trees Group; and (2) Increase the street tree stocking level from 63% to 90% by 2030. This plan serves as a practical guide to future activities and fundraising efforts.