Monday, July 19th, 2010

Gothamist reports that yet another tree branch fell in Central Park over the weekend, making the incident near 62nd and 5th (which did not cause injury) the latest in the string of fallen tree branches reported.  While the tree branch will be investigated for evidence of rotting, other news on the branch problems and maintenance in Central Park is coming out.  First, the New York Post reveals a 2007 audit from the comptroller slamming the Parks Department for failing to remove dead or pest-infested trees in Central Park.  50 dead or diseased trees remained in the park for five months or more in 2006, triggering the negative audit report.  The publicity of the audit is just adding to the increasingly negative rep the Parks Department has received, as the series of injuries and death due to falling Central Park tree branches has led to intense scrutiny by watchdogs, the media, and the public.  With the first incident in the string, the severe brain injury of Google engineer Sasha Blair-Goldensohn last summer, resulting in a lawsuit against the city and the Central Park Conservancy, and the latest injury-causing incident, the death of a six-month-old girl and critical injury of her mother last month near Central Park Zoo (doctors are starting to take the mother, Karla Del Gallo, out of a medically induced coma), the Central Park Conservancy and Parks Department are under much pressure to do what is necessary to avoid another tragedy resulting from Central Park tree limbs.  Stay tuned for updates on the victims’ wellness, as well as any actions from the city and the Conservancy to prevent future incidents in Central Park.

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Tags: Audit, Comptroller, Falling Branch, Injury, Tree Limb