TLD reader Andrea DiFiore sent along these photos from Corlears Hook Park, where about a dozen trees destroyed by Hurricane Sandy were cut down last week. At least as many trees were toppled or made unstable in the immediate aftermath of the big storm two years ago. Their remnants were removed by Parks Department staff long ago. But since that time, another batch withered due to the corrosive effect of salt water that accumulated around the trees. City crews went to work on the latest Sandy victims Thursday and Friday.
We spoke with Michael Marino of the newly formed organization, Friends of Corlears Hook Park. He said Parks Department staff addressed the situation in a recent site tour to discuss various maintenance issues. Park advocates were told that there are no plans to replace most of the trees that succumbed to Sandy’s floodwaters. It’s possible some plantings could occur as part of the already budgeted restoration of the comfort station inside the park, but that would only impact the area in the immediate vicinity of the building.
If you would like to be part of making Corlears Hook Park nicer, there’s a cleanup day scheduled this coming Saturday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. More info on the Friends of Corlears Park Facebook page.
That is a shame those were nice trees and from what I saw they did not look that bad…was it really necessary to cut them all down??
two different tree doctors marked them as diseased or dead and they had to come down before they fell on someone causing injury. We will continue to press the park department to replace them and you can do your part as well by filing a request with the forestry division: http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/request
Parks & Rec is also planting trees that are more salt tolerant, so that when flooding happens again, this doesn’t result as drastically. Around this area you can see some Swamp White Oak that have been planted for this reason, but there are other species, too.
Money to build a fancy new park but no cash to maintain the existing ones. Makes perfect sense.