During an address today at the United Nations, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced a long-term plan to reduce tropical hardwood consumption by City agencies. In.... During an address today at the United Nations, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced a long-term plan to reduce tropical hardwood consumption by City agencies.

In the short-term, the plan will reduce tropical hardwood usage by 20 percent by eliminating these woods for construction and maintenance of park benches, piloting alternative materials for existing boardwalks, and reducing, to the greatest extent possible, the amount used by the Department of Design and Construction, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Economic Development Corporation, the Mayor's Office of Capital Project Development and other City agencies. The Report also commits the City to avoiding tropical hardwoods for any new waterfront promenades. To further reduce the City's use of tropical hardwoods in the long-term in a safe and cost-effective way, the Report includes a series of studies to evaluate alternative designs and materials for our marine transfer stations, Brooklyn Bridge Promenade, maintenance of existing boardwalks, and Staten Island Ferry docks.

Watch Bloomberg Address the U.N.