Since launching in 2021, Forest for All NYC has acheived significant milestones in its pursuit to equitably expand, protect, and maintain the New York City urban forest.

2021

  • Forest for All NYC, a broad coalition of 30 initial member organizations launches to bring to life and carry forward the vision of the NYC Urban Forest Agenda. Developed by a cross-sector group of nearly 50 organizations, the Agenda is a comprehensive strategic plan to protect, maintain, expand, and promote the urban forest, and build a more resilient and equitable New York City.

2022

  • Forest for All NYC pushes to get the New York City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation to hold an oversight hearing on “Improving the City’s Tree Canopy.” With more than 40 coalition members testifying at the first-ever hearing dedicated to the urban forest, this is a tremendous opportunity to create public record to build the case for legislative and budgetary action for this vital natural infrastructure.
  • Forest for All NYC organizes the first-ever City of Forest Day, an annual day of service and celebration of the NYC urban forest. This citywide day of activities helps educate New Yorkers about the benefits of our urban tree canopy and encourages participation in the ongoing stewardship of such valuable infrastructure. The celebration continues to grow each year with more events and increased equity in access with offerings in multiple languages.

2023

  • The New York City Mayor releases PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done, the first strategic climate plan of the Adams administration. One of the initiatives is “achieving a 30% tree canopy cover” to address extreme heat in the city, which is a direct reference to the goal detailed in the NYC Urban Forest Agenda
  • The Nature Conservancy on behalf of Forest for All NYC commissions a report, Learning and Growing: Urban Forest Workforce Training Opportunities in New York City, in support of the workforce development goals outlined in the NYC Urban Forest Agenda.
  • The New York City Council unanimously passes and signs into law two key pieces of legislation that the coalition worked to shape and advance: Local Law 35 amends the City Charter to include trees and tree canopy in its long-term sustainability planning, and Local Law 148 requires the City to create the first citywide urban forest plan to reach 30 percent tree cover, up from 22 percent today, and requires regular monitoring of the urban forest canopy.