PUSH FOR PARKS: A coalition of 27 City Council members are calling on Adams to increase the number of trees throughout the city, particularly in neighborhoods that have little green space. There are more than 7 million trees in the five boroughs, with the canopy covering 22 percent of the entire city, according to the NYC Urban Forest Agenda. Lawmakers want the city to commit to achieving 30 percent tree canopy coverage by 2035. “If we are to be a fully renewable city on the forefront of combating climate change, then our tree canopy has got to play a central role in that,” Council Member Shekar Krishnan, chair of the parks committee, said in an interview about the new policy push. Krishnan said a “key way” to meet that target is to increase funding for the parks department, which currently only gets 0.6 percent of the entire city operating budget. Parks advocates have called for 1 percent of the city budget to go toward parks — a target Adams had committed to on the campaign trail. A spokesperson for the Parks Department previously told POLITICO it’s “committed to working towards the goal of 1% for parks.” — Danielle Muoio Dunn COVERAGE FOR ALL: Immigrant advocacy groups and lawmakers rallied Wednesday in the War Room of the state Capitol – and eight got arrested – as they push for access to health coverage to all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, in the state budget. While the one-house budgets included the Coverage for All measure, it faces an uncertain fate in the final package. Proponents want Hochul to seek a 1332 federal waiver that would allow New York to spend federal dollars to expand health coverage to undocumented immigrants. “Whether they are documented or not, they are New Yorkers,” Senate Health Committee chair Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) said at the rally. “And I believe every single New Yorker deserves health care. MICRON GETS NYPA POWER BOOST: The New York Power Authority board on Wednesday approved a big chunk of lower-cost and market-purchased power for a megaproject in the Syracuse area. The board awarded Micron, which has committed to building a $19.3 billion new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Clay, 140 megawatts of low-cost hydropower through the authority’s ReCharge New York program geared toward economic development. NYPA will also supply 404 MW of market power under its “high load factor” program for large energy users which enables a lower delivery charge. That’s the largest contract for the program, which has also approved an allocation for a cryptocurrency mining project, and currently total about 361 MWs including 143 MW for Plug Power, according to data including pending contracts through the end of 2022 provided by NYPA. — Marie J. French SUNY GETS PERMANENT CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER:The State University of New York Board of Trustees appointed its senior vice chancellor for diversity equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer during a special meeting Tuesday. The position was held in interim by Deputy Chief Operating Officer Valerie Dent, will be filled by Ricardo Nazario-Colón. “Dr. Ricardo Nazario-Colón is an exceptionally talented individual who will fill this important role as we strive toward our goal of inclusivity. With Ricardo’s assistance, we will ensure that justice and equity run through all decisions we make at SUNY,” Chancellor John King said in a statement. Nazario-Colón was born in the Bronx and raised in Puerto Rico. He currently serves as the national president of the Appalachian Studies Association and is an elected member of the National Association of Diversity officer in Higher Education. – Katelyn Cordero “GOOD CAUSE” EVICTION: Tenant activists rallied with state legislators in Albany on Wednesday to push for a measure that would prevent certain evictions and effectively limit rent increases on market-rate apartments across New York. The measure, known as “good cause” eviction, is fiercely opposed by the real estate industry, but prominent lawmakers including Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris say they are committed to getting it done as part of any housing deal in the budget. “We have to keep people in their homes in addition to building more affordable housing to really solve the housing crisis,” Gianaris said at the rally. “We have to do both things simultaneously and we can do both things.” — Janaki Chadha
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