Hanging branches are falling in my Brooklyn neighborhood. And I wanted to know why.
- Why are there hanging branches in the first place?
- Why aren’t they getting removed?
- And why is the number of hanging branches growing?
Little did I know that this was just the beginning of questions I would ask. And I was not going to like the answer.
By the way, if you are new to this series of articles. This article is the fifth one in the series.
Links at the end of this article will take you to the previous articles. In the meantime, here is a brief history of events.
Hanging Branches A Brief History
September 2023
This crusade started as a way for this writer to protect his family and friends from being hit by a hanging branch over his driveway. I followed the directions and rules only to get the brush off by the Parks Department.
March 2024
Not long after I met Laura McCarther, Vice President of the Block Association, I didn’t know we had one. Laura directed me to the council member’s office, where I met Francine Culter, Constituent Liason.
Company Support
With the blessing of my Board of Directors, I took time off from a project.
And with access to a limited amount of company supplies got the word out about this problem.
June 2024
We at The Catsfire Enterprise Inc. believe this problem to be a matter of public safety and community. As I return to company matters, I will continue to watch and report on the trees.
Look Up Hanging Branches
A Tree Branch Hangs In Brooklyn Part 5 Danger from Above. This title was the original title of this article. It speaks to what is hanging over our heads.
So, when was the last time you looked up at the trees on your block?
Is there a hanging branch over your sidewalk or parking space? They are where I live, and one hung over my driveway/sidewalk. Ready to fall.
The following photo is not of the branch over my driveway/sidewalk. To see that branch and the people it could have hurt. Click on the Slide Show button at the end of this article. Go to > I Harm’s Way. The Unseen Danger From Above.
The branch in the photo below shows one of the many branches hanging from trees on my block.
One Article Becomes Many
When I wrote the first article, A Tree Branch Hanges In Brooklyn, I did not envision it as a series of articles. Nor did I expect it to take on a life beyond this website. But it has done both. Sure, I expected to write a part two. But that article was supposed to show how things finally turned out. I published that article on January 26, 2024. But the beginnings of it started months earlier.
This question is for the residents of Brooklyn and Queens. Can you remember the last time the Parks Department pruned your trees? Some of you can. Most of us cannot.
A Danger Removed
Imminent Danger From A Hanging Branch
Have you been following the postings concerning the danger of hanging branches? If so.
Then you know about the branch that hung over the middle of Wyona Street. Had that branch crashed through the windshield of a passing vehicle or hit someone walking under it. It meant injury or death.
Action was needed and taken. A call to 911 resulted in FDNY Ladder Company 103 removing that branch and several others. Their actions removed threats that endangered driving, parking spaces, and pedestrian traffic. Read the full but short story here. A Tree Branch Hangs In Brooklyn Continues.
Ladder Company 103 Follow-up
To show appreciation for the actions of Ladder Company 103. I contacted the Borough President’s office. And I recommended a commendation for this FDNY unit.
His office wrote back and pointed me to the Borough President’s website.
There, I applied for a Certificate of Honor for the unit. About a week and a half later, the certificate was ready.
On March 26, 2024, I presented the certificate to Ladder Company 103 at their station house. This presentation will be an impromptu affair. My wife and I went to the station house and presented the certificate.
I gave the Ladder company my thanks and the certificate. Lena took the photos you see here.
Note. Before I was able to present the plaque. Branch 5 fell. It fell on March 3rd during an all-day rain. To learn more about Branch 5 and its connections to this story. Click on this link. A Tree Branch Hangs In Brooklyn Continues
Danger: Branch 5 Has Fallen The March 3rd Incident
Ladder Company 103 did an excellent job removing the danger of hanging branches. They were able to remove four out of five. The fifth was above Con Ed power lines in a position that required a team used to working under these conditions.
I reported the remaining branch to the Parks Department on December 21, 2024. And, again, no action was taken by the Parks Department.
Wait, let me correct that. I did receive a notice that it would be 120 days before any work commenced. That was on January 11, 2024.
But then, on March 3, 2024, that branch fell during an all-day rain storm and struck a parked vehicle. The vehicle suffered minor damage.
It would have been worse had it hit a person. Why?
The reason is simple. The branch was more than four feet long. And it had a diameter of about 3 inches.
When it hit the vehicle, it broke into three sections. I doubt if that would have happened had it hit you or me.
Brooklyn Councilman Banks
Since my last installment, Tree Branch Removal In Brooklyn Can Be Done. I have been in touch with Council member Chris Banks’s staff.
Ms. Francine Cutler, Constituent Liason, has been great in moving this effort forward. Before I presented the plaque to Ladder 103, I met with Ms. Cutler and explained the situation on Wyona Street. And the actions of the FDNY.
I told her of my efforts to get a certificate for Ladder 103. And that I would like the council member to present it. Ms. Cutler suggested that I contact the scheduler for Mr. Banks to see if he will be attending.
Unfortunately, he was not able to attend. I sent a copy of the photo to the Councilmember’s office. A small print hangs on a bulletin board near Ms. Cutler’s desk.
Not soon after, I heard from the council member.
And we made plans to do a walk-through on Wyona Street.
The Walk Through
On April 24, 2024, around 4 pm, I met Councilmember Chris Banks for our walk-through. With him was a staff member, Malachi.
During that walkabout, I showed him the hanging and fallen tree branches. I impressed upon him the efforts made by Ms. Cutler and myself to get the Parks Department to service the trees. And the fact that we are getting nowhere.
It was a short walk-through with very few questions. The hanging and fallen branches did most of the talking. It helps that Mr. Banks lives in the area. He stated that trees on his block are also in need of service.
I have learned not to expect anything to happen. But to be happy when something positive happens. And to embrace it as a sign to keep moving forward. This way, I am not disappointed. I do not know if the walk-through falls into that category. It is more likely another step towards a larger goal.
Surveying The Trees and Documenting The Danger
It is not enough to photograph the danger of hanging branches and dying limbs. You have to document it also. Most people do not know how to call or file a complaint with 311 about branches and limbs.
The Parks Department calls these Service Requests. Calling is probably the better option since most people do not have computer access. Or know how to use their cellphone to access the Internet.
Whether you call 311 or use the 311 website, you will get a 311 ID number for your request. Treat this ID number as if it were gold. It is your proof that you made a request.
The Parks Department’s First Question
When Ms. Cutler first contacted Mr. Newman, Senior Correspondence Liaison for the Brooklyn Borough Commissioner’s Office. The 311 ID numbers were the first thing he asked for. And I had all my 311 Service Requests ready.
Since that first encounter, Ms. Cutler has forwarded every report to Mr. Newman, Senior Correspondence Liaison for the Brooklyn Borough Commissioner’s Office.
And I make reports after each storm.
The following are some of the reports. I include them, so you get an idea of how this problem has grown.
This Chronology Goes From March 12, 2024, forward. There are earlier events listed in something I call The Report.
Since beginning this article, I completed a report detailing all the information I could find on the tree situation. A link to The Report is at the end of this article.
March 12, 2024
On March 12, 2024, I did another survey. The results were as follows:
- Most of the previously surveyed trees remain a threat.
- Two trees had branches that had fallen. But new hanging branches appeared on these same trees.
- One tree appears to have a blackened tree limb. The rest of the tree looked ok. I reported this tree to the Parks Department and got the usual notice.
- The Parks Department’s response. No work is required at this time.
See the photo and tell me if you agree. And would you feel safe driving or walking under it?
Note. The few trees that no longer posed a threat were not a threat because the branches had fallen. The Parks Department played no part in alleviating the situation.
You tell me if this tree needs work.
If Not Now. When?
So, when is work required? Is it just before a tree branch or limb falls? Whatever standard the Parks Department uses, it is not good enough. I do not want to play the race card. But it’s hard to believe that trees in affluent neighborhoods receive the same lack of attention.
March 13, 2024, A New Problem
I spotted this tree by accident. I was looking at a different tree that looked like it had a large hole at its base. That turned out to be an optical illusion. But the hole in the tree across from it was no optical illusion.
The hole is at the base of the tree limb. It is deep and almost as wide as the tree limb. You and I know I am no expert, but a hole this big in the base of the limb cannot be a good thing.
My service request submission received the same attention as the blackened tree limb.
No work is required at this time.
March 23, 2024
As I write this line of text, we are going through another all-day rain storm. And if it is like the previous ones, new hanging branches will appear. Some of the previous hanging branches from the last storm may fall, like Branch 5 did on March 3, 2024.
The day after the storm has passed, I will survey the trees again.
The Problem Is Growing: The Count
At last count, thirteen of twenty-five trees had at least one hanging branch. Two trees are new additions to the growing number of trees, with hanging branches. And some trees had gone from one hanging branch to two.
One tree went to three new branches. But two fell when the wind storm struck. In all cases, the Parks Department did nothing.
April 4, 2024
It never ends. Another tree branch has fallen.
Correction. Two branches have fallen. One big. One, not so big. I sent photos of the tree branch and a survey report to Ms. Cutler. She, in turn, sent them to Mr. Newman.
Once Again Lucky
After Mr. Newman’s response to an email. Dismissing previous branches as small and would not cause much damage.
Ms. Cutler sent a photo of another fallen branch to Mr. Newman. Like Branch 5, this branch is over 4 feet long and at least three inches in diameter. Once again, we are lucky that no one was hurt. And no vehicle was damaged. In a word, we got lucky.
This photo too was dismissed.
Update April 29, 2024
As of April 29, 2024, the number of trees in distress has grown. That number is now 19 out of 25 trees.
The number of trees with dead or dying limbs has grown. We have gone from one to five trees with dead or dying limbs.
And branches continue to fall from the trees.
Leaves and Lantern Flies
Spring is coming. And leaves will now become the latest problem. As the trees blossom, spotting hanging branches is getting harder.
It is still April, but the leaves are coming. Our canopy, as the Parks Department calls it, is usually thick.
Because of this, branches and limbs in danger of falling are hard to spot. But that is not all.
We have Lantern flies. In August of 2023, I photographed an insect I did not recognize. I know now that it was a Lantern Fly. I sent the photo to Ms. Cutler. She sent it to Mr. Newman. He confirmed that the image is of a Lantern Fly. He sent a link in an email.
I have posted it here for you for informational purposes.
He also said this. Quote, Mr. Newman. We do not treat trees for the Lanternfly as it primarily impacts agriculture areas. End Quote
So, if you see a Lanternfly, disregard it.
After all, the Parks Department is not concerned about them.
So, much for all the hoopla about Lanternflies.
The Lanternfly Link
Click on The button or copy-paste the link below: Lanternfly Info
March, 25, 2024 Not A Danger?
Take A look at the following photos. This branch is what Mr. Newman describes as being small and incapable of causing much damage.
It is only a matter of time before a branch falls and hits someone or something.
Hanging Branch Update Incident Report May, 17, 2024
On May 17, 2024, This hanging branch and one other were removed by Ladder Company 103. Moments earlier, a branch from a tree with no previous issues fell, missing a pedestrian. Another hanging branch had fallen but got caught in cables, not power lines. That branch posed a danger to passing cars and pedestrians. Sound familiar?
The FDNY removed all the hanging branches. The branch shown in the above photo is shown here, being removed.
Once on the ground, the branch was measured.
The branch was 15 feet long with a base diameter of 3 inches.
We Tried
Before this branch was removed, Mr. Newman informed Ms. Cutler that a Forestry inspector would come and see the trees firsthand. I offered my services to assist in pointing out the branches. Nothing happened.
Hanging Branches Update June, 5, 2024
Because of the blossoming leaves, this branch is nearly invisible from the street. To see it, you have to be standing under the tree. You can’t see it, but it can hit you.
The Report
Its Reason For Being
It did not take long to realize that unending monthly reports was not possible. For a short time, I changed the format for updates. But the events of falling branches and hanging branches were coming faster.
The idea of a report that Francine and others at the council member’s office could read was a consideration. In the end, I produced a report covering items such as Service Request, Forestry Reports, The Parks Department’s Pruning Map, and more.
I sent the initial report to Ms. Cutler on May 28, 2024. I submitted the final section of the report on June 11, 2024.
The Reasons The Parks Department Cannot Care For Street Trees
This section is the final part of the report. It is smaller than The Report.
Follow The Lack Of Money, Commitment, Transparency, And Training. And you will learn what I learned.
These are the opening lines to an article that sums up the why of what the Parks Department does or does not do.
Links To The Main Articles
The articles have links to other sources of information.
To see links to all the articles, click here to go to the Navigation Page. There you will find links to all the articles in this series.
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