Along Second Avenue from 61st to 96th Streets, the Parks Department has given the MTA permission to remove 81 trees, many of which are over 40 years old, either transplanting the healthy trees to other locations or using the wood chips from the untransplantables for other Parks projects. Residents confronted Parks officials at a Community Board 8 meeting two weeks ago. “This is arborcide,” said Liberty Rees, a community activist. “It’s thoughtless, barbaric, and callous.” Parks Department first deputy commissioner Liam Kavanagh stressed that the city will replace the volume of the lost trees. Ultimately, the MTA will pay for 430 new trees. “We place an extremely high value on these trees, and that is why we are so adamant about the MTA using our replacement method, which is the highest standard in the industry,” said Kavanagh.
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