We couldn’t know how badly RIOC’s crew damaged our historic row of cherry trees on the West promenade until blossoms lifted them out of winter. After men with chainsaws hacked brainlessly away at them in late October, we could not get their full contribution to the ongoing de-greening of Roosevelt Island.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
How badly did the RIOC crew hurt the historic cherry trees?
Rushed out to the West Promenade, we found a RIOC crew busy at work, chainsaws buzzing.
“What are you guys doing?”
“Pruning the trees,” a crew member answered.
Fruit tree pruning is done correctly in spring or very late winter. This prevents damage to trees sleeping through winter, less able to defend themselves. And it’s done only for shaping them.
“Why?”
“To keep them from dying.”
But none of the trees were dying. Yet. And the crew was not doing the sealing of cut-off branches needed to protect them from bacteria, fungi or insects.
Fortunately, with aid of a resident, we stopped the destruction at that point, but the results were months away. Not until the cherry trees bloomed in spring could we see the full damage.
Battered and clinging to life
Here’s a close-up:
Cherry trees, Southpoint and RIOC’s De-Greening of Roosevelt Island
The hacking of the cherry trees came close on the heels of RIOC’s destruction of dozens of trees, wild grasses and small animals in Southpoint Park. Part of their explanation for converting Southpoint’s verdant shorelines into the Shelton J. Haynes/Langan Rock Farm was removing non-native species.
FYI: Cherry trees are all non-native species.
Is it the lack of supervision so often observed at RIOC or a managed effort at de-greening Roosevelt Island? With the state agency so deeply bunkered and under Governor Hochul’s protection, it is hard to know for sure. But the potential for future damage is huge.
more from the Roosevelt island daily news
- Long-Term Health Effects Linked to 9/11: 25 Years LaterThe 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks brings renewed focus to long-term health effects linked to 9/11, with ongoing needs for survivors, first responders, and affected communities.
- NYC Yellow School Bus Shortage Disrupts Back-to-School PlansA potential NYC yellow school bus shortage could affect back-to-school transportation and schedules as classes begin. Learn how families, schools, and city officials are responding.
- Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Suspected in Hunters Point High-Rise: FDNY RespondsA lithium-ion battery fire is suspected in the Hunters Point high-rise incident that prompted a major FDNY response, with a second Queens fire following at Ravenswood. Officials are investigating both events.
- NYPD Shooting on Brooklyn Bridge: What Happened and What Comes NextA look at the NYPD shooting on Brooklyn Bridge: what happened, how the investigation is unfolding, and what NYC commuters can expect as reviews continue.
- Gloria Steinem’s Passing Sparks Personal Tributes on the Upper East SideGloria Steinem’s passing on the Upper East Side was marked by personal tributes and quiet remembrance, reflecting how a national figure’s legacy unfolded in a local community.
Air Doesn’t Have an Address
The Roosevelt Island Steam Plant fight has reached a new stage: DOB has agreed to a site walkthrough, ArchRI says it is bringing independent engineers and architects, and four elected officials have formally asked RIOC to create a Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the project.
1 COMMENTS