March 21, 2014—New York City recently enacted two laws that will affect city-owned outdoor areas, and could affect facilities managers and owners in New York and potentially elsewhere who are in charge of buildings or campuses that have either green roofs or landscaped areas outdoors. The new laws promote the use of native plants for both stormwater regulation and landscaping. According to LandscapeOnline.com, the legislation “marks a trend of cities looking to better control plant life in their territory.”
The two laws, introduced as bills 75-A and 399-A, together ensure that plantings done by the Department of Parks and Recreation reflect New York City efforts to regulate stormwater and increase native biodiversity whenever possible.
According to a statement from the mayor’s office, “As part of PlaNYC’s Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan, the City recommends and often uses green infrastructure to control and detain stormwater. This is an important step in helping to reduce the billions of gallons of polluted rainwater which enter New York harbors every year. This legislation requires the Parks Department to create a stormwater retention manual that will identify plants suitable for stormwater retention and be made available to the public. Plantings conducted by the Department beginning next spring will follow the guidelines outlined in the manual.
“Invasive plant species cost the City millions of dollars a year to eradicate and out-compete native plant species which are important to the City’s native biodiversity. The Parks Department has made efforts to ensure that plantings done within the City increase native biodiversity whenever possible.
“This legislation will require that the Parks Department update its design manuals to increase biodiversity in its landscape practices. Beginning next spring, all plantings conducted by the Department will conform to this manual. In addition, the Parks Department will create a native species planting guide that will be available to property owners and professional land managers. The planting guide will advise the public on suitable native plants, their characteristics, and compatibility with other plants.
