N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 53-0301: Legislative purpose

§ 53-0301. Legislative purpose.

The legislature finds and declares that:

1. It is the purpose of this title to promote a comprehensive urban

forestry program to assure positive benefit from urban trees planned and

managed with adequate recognition of the physical, biotic and social

surroundings in which they are encouraged to grow and provide their

benefits.

2. Trees can serve as a vital link between man in the urban setting

and his environment, if properly planned and managed.

3. Trees and shrubs can improve the quality of urban environments by

helping to prevent erosion, by providing shade, modifying extremes of

temperature and humidity, helping to reduce noise and air pollution, and

enhancing the aesthetic quality of life. Also, vegetation in urban green

space can contribute to urban water shed management and provide habitats

for desirable urban wildlife.

4. Growing conditions in urban areas for trees and associated plants

are frequent and recurrent problems because of highway and street

widening, sidewalk reconstruction, air pollution, modified drainage,

erosion, soil fertility depletion, insects and disease, mechanical

hazards and other adverse influences resulting from concentrated use of

land. On the other hand, many mature urban areas have large tracts of

open space on which more urban vegetation could be grown.

5. Improved and expanded urban tree programs for planting and

maintenance of trees and associated vegetation in urban areas would help

make urban areas more pleasant and healthful places to live, work and

visit; and

6. Trees are an important economic asset and resource to urban areas

by increasing land values and by modifying extremes of temperature,

humidity and winds and thereby have an important role in reducing the

amount of energy consumed in heating and cooling many urban buildings

and homes.