GIULIANI & PATAKI PLEDGE FUNDS TO REPLANT TREES
$2.5 Million to Replace Trees Destroyed To Infestation
Of
Asian Long Horned Beetle
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Governor George E. Pataki today announced they have each committed $1 million as part of the joint City-State effort to replace trees that must be destroyed in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn to stop the infestation of the deadly Asian Long Horned Beetle.
"The City of New York is committed to the care and preservation of the City's trees," Mayor Giuliani said. "The damage done by the Asian Long Horned beetle is devastating. Unfortunately, the only way to keep Greenpoint's beetle plague from spreading is to destroy the host-trees that, sadly, are already infected and will die anyway.
"Our goal is twofold: first, to remove Greenpoint's diseased trees by April 1, before the beetles begin to tunnel out and spread and, second, to replace each tree that is taken down with several new saplings," the Mayor said. "We intend to keep Greenpoint green while shielding the trees of New York City from this deadly insect."
"Mayor Giuliani and I are committed to preserving the character of the neighborhood with a comprehensive plan to replace the trees that unfortunately must be taken down to stop this tree-killing pest," Governor Pataki said.
"Trees play a vital role in keeping our neighborhoods beautiful, in helping to keep our air clean and providing shade for community residents," the Governor said. "This funding will ensure that we have enough new trees to replace those that must come down. I applaud the community residents who have worked so hard to make sure their neighborhood is protected. This is their victory."
The $2 million in State and City funding will supplement the $500,000 already committed to the replanting project by United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. The City and State also have worked with private industry to gain support for the tree replacement effort.
Approximately 500 trees must be destroyed to eliminate the threat of the beetle, a foreign pest with no known natural predator in this country. The replacement plan, which will begin this Spring, calls for planting several three-inch saplings for every tree taken down. The City will use Parks Department crews to remove trees on park land, while the State will hire contractors to remove trees on private property.
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