Brad Vogel, a Brooklyn-based canoeist and poet, has actively submitted hundreds of requests for tree planting through NYC's 311 system. Initially, such citizen requests were encouraged during the Bloomberg administration's initiative to increase the city's tree canopy. However, a recent policy shift from NYC Parks now means they will no longer accept these requests, to the dismay of Vogel and other advocates who believe grassroots contributions are vital for urban greening efforts. Parks is now focused solely on strategic planting zones, limiting public involvement.
The under-the-radar change is part of a larger shift at the supposedly green agency to take back control over where it plants trees by focusing its thin resources on specific zones instead of responding to public requests.
Vogel emphasized, 'A grass-roots track of this urban forest plan effort is critical. If you're going to move the needle in a city of this size ... you're going to need all hands on deck.'
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