We urgently request to use a scrap pile of discarded steel fence posts, enough to make hundreds of street tree guards, and potentially save tens of thousands of dollars to protect hundreds of street trees in Inwood, Northern Manhattan. We are writing on behalf of a 501c3 nonprofit community organization in Inwood 10034, at Inwood Hill Park, to request permission to repurpose discarded fence posts from a construction site in our area. We were advised to contact this agency to seek the necessary authorization.
A few hundred steel fence posts from a large NYC Parks Department project are being excavated from InwoodHillPark. They are scheduled to be discarded within the next few days. The image above shows only about a third of the total. Most have already been picked up.
While many of these fence posts are bent or mangled, they are perfectly suitable for our needs. We propose for the posts to be cut into 36" to 60" lengths to create urgently needed street-tree bed guards.
Most of scrap metal fence posts in the photos have already been discarded! However hundreds of pieces remain to be upcycled as tree guards.
A typical tree bed without tree guard, and the trees do not survive. It's a fact that without tree guards, street trees do not live very long. This tree was on Broadway in front of the Dyckman Farmhouse, a property managed by NYC Parks Department.
Our neighborhood faces a widespread issue of neglected and abused street trees due to the absence of protective tree guards. Without protection, the soil around these trees becomes compacted from foot traffic, and the trees suffer from dog urine and feces exposure, ultimately leading to their decline.
Over the past week hundreds of galvanized steel fence posts have been pulled up as part of a large-scale construction project at Inwood Hill Park. The lead contractor at the Inwood Hill Park construction site has confirmed that the fence posts we are seeking to upcycle are slated for disposal. They actually offered to donate services to help cut them to standard lengths.
A neatly piled and straight sections of fence posts for tree bed guards have been cut to have any bent sections removed.
However, we have been informed that the Department of Citywide Services’ authorization is required before we can use the discarded materials.
Our goal is to address the problem of neglected and dying street trees by using these discarded materials to fabricate simple, standard tree guards that adhere to NYC guidelines and comply with all required permits as outlined on the city website.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/trees/tree-care/tree-guards
Basic tree guard design approved by NYC Parks Department. Style E .
The site is littered with all the attachment pieces needed. However they can be purchased new.
We have already identified and documented numerous unprotected street trees that could be saved with standard regulation steel guards made from these repurposed fence posts. This initiative represents an opportunity for our community to upcycle discarded materials, protect our street trees, and potentially save tens of thousands of dollars, as standard fabricated steel guards can cost thousands of dollars each.
Given the imminent disposal of these fence posts, this matter is time-sensitive.
Could you please expedite the permission process to allow us to obtain these materials before it is too late? Before they are discarded. Is this even possible?
If this is not an option, we appreciate your time and consideration.
Most tree beds do not have tree guards on Broadway in Inwood. And of those that do have tree guards, most of them are non-standard, and hazardous. Many of these unofficial street tree guards are dangerous and should be removed and replaced with permanent steel tree guards. The steel pipes referred to in this inquiry are ideally suited for this application. It's estimated that at approximately a hundred permanent NYC approved tree guards could be fabricated from the metal fence posts that we are trying to save from the scrapyard. A steel tree guard may cost on average approximately $1,000 (or less for wooden guards). It's truly exciting to do the numbers and calculate the potential of saving so many trees through upcycling this material! And it's saddening to consider the long term financial loss, and loss to the community by not having street trees, or having them slowly die before our eyes. The cost of the tree, the loss of the shade and beautification they provide, and the impact of having garbage, dog urine, feces collectors throughout our streets!!
This non standard tree guard may have looked charming a couple of years nago, but has fallen into disrepair and presents a hazard.
Please reply with the name and contact information of the appropriate person in this department to advance this matter quickly if possible! This is more or less a spontaneous reaction to seeing piles of discarded materials that might serve a valuable service! We honestly do not know how feasible this is, who will do all the work, who will pay for the paint, or how well galvanized steel fencing will hold up! But we can imagine the possibility of saving so many street trees and tens of thousands of dollars. Not to mention making our community more beautiful and healthy in the process.
Respectfully Friends of Inwood Butterfly Sanctuary
