Parks Tree Fund

The Tree Fund is an option for those required to plant new street trees by the Department of Buildings (DOB), but cannot plant on-site (in front of their property), or wish to obtain a permanent Certificate of Occupancy outside of Parks’ two approved planting seasons. Under these circumstances, builders can choose to pay into Parks’ Tree Fund in lieu of each new tree required by the City’s zoning amendment.

Payments for off-site plantings are accepted year-round. If you are requesting your Certificate of Occupancy outside of planting season, you can pay into the Tree Fund for on-site or off-site trees between these dates:

January 1 – February 28
June 1 – September 30

The amount of the payment per tree, $1,450, is based on actual tree planting costs as verified by the NYC Office of Management and Budget. A Refundable Deposit Alternative is available for applicants who wish to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy by committing to plant trees during the next approved planting season:

Fall: October 1 – December 31
Spring: March 1 - May 31

Download the P-F1 Tree Fund Payment Application.

Tree Fund Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Submit your P-F1 Tree Fund Payment Application

Complete all the required fields of the P-F1 Tree Fund Payment Application above and submit it by fax, mail, or email to Parks along with your completed P-A Forestry Application and ST-1 Form from the Department of Buildings (if applicable).

Step 2: Parks Issues an Invoice

Once the completed application has been received and processed, you will be issued an invoice within 10 business days via fax or mail.

Step 3: Pay into the Tree Fund

Pay the amount of the invoice in full by Cashier’s or Certified checks ONLY. At this time, you can only pay this invoice in Manhattan at Parks’ headquarters:

The Arsenal Central Park (at East 64th Street)
830 Fifth Avenue, Room 1
New York, NY 10065

The funds will be deposited into a dedicated Tree Fund and Parks will use the money for future street tree planting projects.

If you pay in person, you will receive your sealed receipt immediately. If you mail your payment, you will receive the receipt in the mail within three weeks.

Step 4: Bring Receipt to DOB

Take the sealed receipt to the Department of Buildings (DOB). This receipt is all you need from Parks for your Certificate of Occupancy as long as you have no additional on-site planting requirements during a planting season.

Tree Fund–Refundable Deposit Alternative

This option is available if it is outside of a planting season and a builder wants to obtain their Certificate of Occupancy by committing to plant trees during the next approved planting season (Fall: October 1 – December 31 ; Spring: March 1 – May 31).

In this case, the builder must indicate on their submitted PF-1 Tree Fund Payment Application that they will seek a refund if they are able to plant the tree(s) themselves. If a refund may be sought, the payee must check the appropriate box on the Tree Fund application. Parks will allow the applicant a period of six months from receipt of the application to plant the required trees during an approved planting season. The deposit will be returned upon completion of the final sign-off inspection, verifying proper planting according to Parks’ Standards. If trees are not planted to our specifications, the applicant may not be eligible for a refund and Parks will retain the funds. The applicant must file a separate Tree Planting Permit (See Permit Planting Directions) before planting and state on their P-A Forestry Application that they wish to obtain their refundable deposit.

Note: If after six months the applicant has not successfully received a sign-off, the refund will be forfeited. If seeking a refundable deposit from the Tree Fund, you are only allowed one month from the issued date of the “punch-list” to request a re–inspection.

The following are examples of violations that will likely delay your final sign–off and refund:

The tree pit size does not match the Work Order
The size of the tree is incorrect
The species of tree is incorrect
The tree location is incorrect
The tree is not planted to the correct depth
The tree is not in excellent condition
The tree was planted outside of the planting season
The tree bed was not backfilled with good soil
The burlap and top half of basket was not removed
The paving, if applicable, is not installed to Parks’ standards
The tree is not mulched properly
The stakes and Arbor Tie™ (or equivalent material) are not installed correctly.