Contact: Frank Zeoli, Deputy Commissioner
ALBANY, NY – Mayor Kathy Sheehan and Department of General Services Commissioner Sergio Panunzio announced the commencement of a citywide inventory of Albany's street and park trees, in partnership with Davey Resource Group (DRG), beginning Tuesday, July 6.
The inventory is designed to collect basic information about every tree located along Albany’s streets and in Albany’s parks, including their size, species, location, and other details relevant to their ongoing maintenance by city staff. This information is vital to ensuring the ongoing health of trees across Albany and will assist city staff when planting of new trees as part of the 2025 Trees Initiative – a program that is replacing lost trees while enhancing and preserving our urban forest for years to come by planting 2,025 new trees across the City by 2025, especially in the neighborhoods where the urban forest is most at-risk. The City of Albany has already planted more than 200 trees as part of this initiative.
A team of five arborists will begin the inventory in Albany’s Arbor Hill and North Albany neighborhoods before moving to Downtown Albany, South End, and then west. The citywide tree inventory will be complete in approximately four weeks.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said “Obtaining an inventory of our park and street trees will help us proactively and strategically enhance our urban forest so it can thrive for generations to come. I want to thank Commissioner Panunzio, Deputy Commissioner Zeoli, and our partners at Davey Resource Group for helping us to secure the resources needed to ensure Albany has the most healthy and vibrant street and park trees possible.”
Davey Resource Group arborists will wear high-visibility gear clearly marked with the DRG logo at all times while completing the inventory. Residents who have questions about the citywide tree inventory may call the Department of General Services at 518-434-CITY (2489).
This project is funded in part by a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Urban and Community Forestry Program.
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