skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump replaces Waltz as national security adviser, Rubio takes role for now; Poll: AZ Latino voters 'discouraged' after Trump's first 100 days; AR pre-K suffers from funding gap; Judge bars deportations of Venezuelans from South TX under Alien Enemies Act; Coalition wants to end 'forced labor' in MN prisons.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is leaving that job to become UN ambassador, bipartisan Arizona poll finds Latino voters dissatisfied by Trump's first 100 days, and Florida mass deportations frighten community members.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural students who face hurdles going to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large, and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.

Studies Show Need for NYC Urban Forest Growth

play audio
Play

Wednesday, December 15, 2021   

NEW YORK -- New research shows how expanding New York City's urban forest would benefit New Yorkers' lives in the long term.

According to The Nature Conservancy report, urban forests do more than enhance people's quality of life. They help cities retain storm water, provide habitat for animals, reduce summer temperatures and store greenhouse gases.

Emily Nobel Maxwell, New York Cities program director for The Nature Conservancy-New York and co-author of the report, explained historic zoning and housing policies have contributed to less tree canopy in many communities of color and lower-income neighborhoods, despite city efforts to plant more trees and keep them alive.

"The forest is still inequitably distributed, and there are some neighborhoods that have much less canopy," Nobel Maxwell pointed out. "And particularly in the face of climate change, that's a significant challenge."

The study highlights a need for more tree canopy due to threats from major storms and extreme heat, both made worse by climate change. As of 2017, New York City's overall tree canopy was about 22%. The Nature Conservancy report encouraged the city to reach a goal of 30% by 2035.

Nobel Maxwell said future plans for the urban forest must put neighborhoods first that are most at risk.

"As we continue to make investments in our urban forest, it's really important to prioritize both low-income communities and communities of color," Nobel Maxwell asserted. "And also, coastal communities are more subject to the impacts of climate change."

In a related report, The Nature Conservancy and the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance explored the need for more nature-based jobs in New York City.

Victoria Sanders, research analyst for the Alliance, sees greater investments in the field as a path to greater climate resiliency, through "green" infrastructure.

"So many of the jobs for the nature of New York City, are seasonal, low-paying, they don't have good and reliable job trajectories for growth," Sanders observed. "And so, it doesn't incentivize people to work in those areas."

According to the jobs report, fewer than 100 foresters are employed in New York City, with lower wages compared to the national median.

Disclosure: The Nature Conservancy in New York-Long Island contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Environment, Public Lands/Wilderness, and Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
In 2023, nearly 18% of U.S. households with children faced food insecurity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Lauren Cohen / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. S.B. 109, a bill that …


Social Issues

play sound

An Illinois law professor is weighing in on what she called a "very public and open test of due process" for immigrants being deported from the United…

Health and Wellness

play sound

New data show a 27% increase in rape kit testing across Mississippi since the state implemented a 2023 law requiring all new sexual assault evidence t…


Families in Colorado and across the nation spend up to 60% of their income on child care, the equivalent of a second mortgage or rent payment. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The lack of quality child care for infants and toddlers costs Colorado nearly $3 billion each year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue but an …

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Mexican Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue said 90% of the tomatoes exported by Mexico go to the United States. (Pixabay)

Environment

play sound

The Florida tomato industry is stepping into uncharted territory following the termination of a decades old trade agreement with Mexico, marking what …

Environment

play sound

When consumers buy a meat product, they might like the idea it came from a local farm or ranch. But experts say there are still logjams in regional …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Mental health counselors focused on Nebraska's high rate of binge drinking during Alcohol Awareness Month, which just wrapped up. Alcohol abuse is …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021