A joint project of the Natural Areas Conservancy and NYC Parks, the Forest Management Framework for New York City is a strategic and comprehensive plan to bolster and protect New York City’s vital urban forests.
It’s the first citywide vision for this critical piece of infrastructure. The plan is intended to guide restoration, management, and community engagement for 7300 acres of New York City’s forested parkland. The 25- year plan includes the process, costs, steps, recommendations, best practices, and goals for forest management in NYC. It marks the culmination of six years of research, data collection, and analysis by NAC scientists.
A key part of the project includes providing data-informed guidance in forest management to other NYC Park conservancies in 2018 and 2019. In spring 2018, the Natural Areas Conservancy will work with the Forest Park Trust in Queens and the Prospect Park Alliance in Brooklyn through the Conservancy Engagement Program.
This project was funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Ittleson Foundation, and The New York Community Trust.
In conjunction with the Forest Management Framework, the Natural Areas Conservancy has developed recommendations for climate-adapted tree species to plant in New York City forests. The report identifies native species that are most resilient under warmer, drier conditions. NYC Parks has adopted these recommendations for their planting projects, and the guidelines are being made available to other conservancies.
This project was funded by a Wildlife Conservation Society Climate Adaptation Fund grant. Support for this Fund is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.