Courtesy of WRCR.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation this week announced they’ll be planting hundreds of new trees in Rockland Lake State Park over the next five years. The project is designed to clean the air and ward off an invasive species of insect known as the emerald ash borer, which has already destroyed some 1,500 trees at Rockland Lake. The Parks department says the new trees, including maple, oak and other species native to New York State, will help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Excess carbon dioxide traps the sun’s energy and heats up the atmosphere. That leads to less snow in the winter, more frequent summer droughts and higher sea levels. Phase one of the project will begin on the north end of Rockland Lake. It’s estimated to cost $1 million over the five-year period and should start this spring.