Queens Tribune

Walking down the streets of her Rego Park neighborhood, Teri Neufeld took in the plentiful number of cars and people on the streets. She ran her eyes up and down the apartment buildings, taking note of the perfect array of apartment windows that sit within the brick exteriors.

There was something missing along the stretch of Saunders Street, however, and Neufeld is vehement about correcting it. Neufeld feels that there is a lack of trees in Rego Park, and the ones that fall down in heavy rain and thunderstorms are not replaced in an efficient manner.

“It’s almost a desert out here,” she said. “Trees come down and they’re never replaced.”

Neufeld said she has grown tired of the lack of response she has received from the New York City Parks Department, Councilwoman Melinda Katz’ office, and CB 6. Living on Saunders Street, Neufeld said she is disheartened by the number of trees missing between 67th Avenue and the Long Island Expressway. Living in the city, she said, it is very important to have a sufficient amount of trees so that the air remains clean and overall happiness remains at a premium.

“I asked that these downed trees be replaced,” she said. “They stated they cannot, as the homeowner or building owner needs to request a tree.”

Neufeld compiled a list of problems all along that particular stretch of Saunders Street, making note of if the tree is missing, if there is an open pit, or if the area has been cemented over. She said that there are seven open pits near 66th Avenue, and two near 65th Street. There are also three dead trees near 66th Avenue and at least eight cemented pits all along the street, Neufeld said.

Over this past weekend, a tree outside of her apartment building at 65-74 Saunders St. was blown over and knocked onto the sidewalk. The fallen pieces of branch and bark were placed on the sidewalk for removal, but Neufeld questions when the tree will be replaced.

There is hope for Neufeld and other tree lovers throughout the city. The Parks Dept. has a special forestry division that protects New York City’s 2.5 million trees. Implementing new programs and strategies for urban forest health, the forestry division is committed to the trees that vie for space in the urban setting.

Last year, the Parks Department had a tree count for the first time since 1995, totaling 326,228 trees.

According to the Parks Department, there are two ways to have a tree planted in front of your property. The first option is to contact your local community board, which submits a list of tree requests twice a year to Parks. The second option is to apply for a free permit through the Borough Forestry Office and arrange for a private planting at your own expense. If a sidewalk tree pit needs to be excavated, you must also obtain a permit from the Department of Transportation (DOT). Contact the Forestry Division at (718) 699-0873.