Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service granted the City of Yonkers $1 million to plant and maintain trees, and combat extreme heat and climate change. The funding supports Yonkers’ recently released Climate Action Plan, which outlines significant measures to reduce the heat island effects in southwest Yonkers, where additional tree plantings will improve air quality, cool streets and promote greater public health and safety.
“This investment made by our federal partners, combined with our local share, is an acknowledgement of the nation’s underserved communities who suffered from decades of environmental injustice,” said Mayor Spano. “Increasing our urban tree canopy and providing more green space will vastly improve the quality of life of our residents and create healthier generations to come. Yonkers is committed to be a more sustainable, greener and equitable place for our families to live, work and play.”
Yonkers is one of 385 communities in the nation awarded funding through the Urban and Community Forestry Program. The Urban and Community Forestry Program is the only program in the federal government dedicated to enhancing and expanding the nation’s urban forest resources.
Groundwork Hudson Valley, one of Yonkers’ local partners in addressing climate change and achieving sustainability goals in the city, also received a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service to expand their programs that offer education and job training toward careers in environmental sustainability.
“This is a pivotal moment for the City of Yonkers,” said Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Executive Director, Oded Holzinger. “We have been working together for several years to get to this point and we are now positioned to pick up our shovels and tools and work together across the city to create a more climate resilient Yonkers.”
Studies show that trees in communities are associated with improved physical and mental health, lower average temperatures during extreme heat, and increased food security, and create new economic opportunities. This historic funding will help the Forest Service support projects that increase tree cover in disadvantaged communities, provide equitable access to the benefits of nature, and deliver tangible economic and ecological benefits to urban and Tribal communities across the country.
For more information on the Yonkers Climate Action Plan, visit www.yonkersny.gov.
