Roosevelt Island Resident Asks Why Is Rivercross Lawn Tree Being Cut Down Today - RIOC Conducting Extensive Island Wide Tree Pruning And Dead Tree Removal This Week

Roosevelt Island residents care passionately about their trees. This afternoon, a Roosevelt Island resident observed this Tree being cut down on the Rivercross Lawn

and wanted to know why?

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Information Office Alonza Robertson:

A Rivercross resident just asked why a tree is currently being cut down on Rivercross lawn.

Is this being done by RIOC or Rivercross.

Any explanation?

Mr Roberson replied:

It’s part of tree pruning work being done by RIOC.

Crews are conducting extensive tree pruning and removing dead trees at Southpoint Park, the Rivercross Lawn and Capobianco Field. Safety areas are set up around the work zones.

(I’d originally set out an advisory about this on September 14).

Mr Roberson added:

BTW, The dead tree at Rivercross a Norway Maple Leaf. We are looking to replace it.

Below is the September 14 RIOC Tree Pruning advisory:

Beginning Monday, September 17 until Monday, September 24 crews will be conducting extensive tree pruning and removing dead trees at Southpoint Park, the Rivercross Lawn and Capobianco Field. Safety areas will be set up around the work zones.

At this time, we do not anticipate any major road or sidewalk closures.

UPDATE 9/27 - Here's what remains of one of the Rivercross Lawn Trees cut down yesterday.

A long time Roosevelt Island resident reacts to the Trees being cut down:

This is heartbreaking. When RIOC's war on our island trees will stop?

I've been observing the mass destruction of our island's trees for the last 16 years. I was hoping RIOC would start repairing the devastation they created. But no! It is just getting worse.

The 2 large OAK trees in the middle of the green lawn South of Rivercross near the Meditation Steps were just chopped down.

They were healthy trees that previous generations left to us to enjoy. Residents and visitors have been resting during the summer in the shade of those old beautiful trees.

Birds were nesting in its brunches, families of squirrels lived there for generations. And now they are gone!

As many, many other trees we used to enjoy along Main Street, along the river and in our yards and parks. When are they going to be replaced? Our future generation has been deprived of those good trees, as it takes 50 plus years to grow a tree.

I have a lot of questions to RIOC:

• Who makes a decision a out which tree has to be cut down?
• Does RIOC have an arborist expert? If yes,
• Is this expert accountable? Can we see reports? Contractors’ report??
• What about residents’ opinions, feelings, attachments, sentiments?
• Are they just cutting trees to reduce the cost of maintenance? It is cheaper for them to cut the grass than take care of brunches.
• Do you call it tree maintenance? It is a holocaust!!
• What about migrating birds?!? We are in the middle of the Atlantic Flyway and there soon will be no trees for birds to rest!
• When are the residents going to speak up aloud their concerns??o
• How many trees were planted to replace the trees cut down? Look along the Main Street: all the tree patches are planted with flowers, not trees.
• Are we getting trees replaced? The same type that was cut down? When is it going to happen?
• Shall the residents organize and re-plant trees themselves and stand guard to them?

It is time for residents to hold RIOC accountable for this horrible environmental damage on our island!

This trees massacre should stop now! And new trees must be re-planted ASAP!

Long time and a highly concerned resident.

UPDATE 9/28 - RIOC issued the following statement this evening:

American sweetgums are among the favorites to replace two dying Norway Maple trees that were removed Thursday from the lawn south of the Rivercross co-op at 531 Main Street.
 

The low-maintenance, deciduous shade tree’s scientific name is Liquidambar styraciflua. It often exudes an aromatic balsam/gum that some describe as liquid amber; thus, its common name of sweetgum. The medium-sized to large tree typically grows anywhere from 50–70 feet tall with trunks measuring two-to-three feet in diameter. The trees, which have a brilliant Fall leaf mixture of yellows, oranges, purples and reds, can live to 400 years.

Red oaks are also being considered as replacements. It is believed both species would grow well in this lawn area. The schedule and exact location for the replacement planning has yet to be finalized.

(Do you have some suggestions on what type of trees should be planted on the lawn as replacements? Email your thoughts to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation c/o Alonza Robertson, alonza.robertson@rioc.ny.gov.)

An ISA-certified arborist did a recent health survey of Roosevelt Island trees at Southpoint Park, Capobianco Field and the lawn near Rivercross. The Mount Vernon-based tree expert was tasked, by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, with identifying dead or declining trees that posed safety hazards.

Two Norway maples, both longtime fixtures at the Rivercross lawn area, were found to be in serious declining health with more than 60 percent of the limbs in the trees’ crowns dead, presenting a major safety hazard to anyone located in the spaces under the trees. Norway maples have a reputation for falling branches and limbs as the tree weakens.

In addition to the dead limbs and subsequent safety hazard, the arborist also found that the trees showed:

• Evidence of stress
• Insect (bores) activity
• Large amounts of deadwood
• Stress cracks along the base of tree
• Weak structure

There is no spray or alternative treatment that would have reversed the condition as their root systems – which tend to grow close to the ground surface – also were girdling or strangling the trees with its own roots.

“We have next weekend’s Fall for Arts Festival taking place on the lawn where the two dead trees were located and we wanted to make sure the hazardous trees were removed prior to the event for safety reasons. The other trees in the area have received pruning as well to remove any other dead branches,” said Susan Rosenthal, RIOC’s president and CEO.