Frequently Asked Questions
Jump to a FAQ
- Who is behind the Brooklyn Bridge Forest?
- Should I get involved in the Brooklyn Bridge Forest project now? Is this an urgent initiative?
- What’s the timeline? How soon will my signature appear on the boardwalk?
- What will it cost to be a plank sponsor?
- Can corporations support the project?
- How will you get the signatures onto the planks? What will they look like?
- What type of wood is currently used for the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade boardwalk?
- Why use wood? Why not replace the boardwalk with another material?
- Why tropical hardwood?
- Why not use a local material (a domestic hardwood) like Black Locust?
- What about other materials like recycled plastic lumber, or wood composites? Aren't these "greener"?
- How big will the Brooklyn Bridge Forest be?
- How can cutting down trees be good for a rainforest?
- Who can visit the Brooklyn Bridge Forest?
- What is the Forest Stewardship Council? What does it mean to be FSC certified?
- Which organizations has Brooklyn Bridge Forest been working with?
- Are there any precedents for the Brooklyn Bridge Forest model?
1. Who is behind the Brooklyn Bridge Forest?
The Brooklyn Bridge Forest is a Pilot Projects initiative and has involved the collaboration of architects, planners, forestry experts, sociologists, writers, politicians, artists and engineers. As the project unfolds the partnerships and the internal team is being developed to support it. We are currently soliciting partnering organizations, individual expertise and funding for the next level of feasibility study. Please contact us if you are interested. The founder of Pilot Projects is Scott Francisco, an architect and design strategist in NYC whose work is focused on the relationship between culture and design.
2. Should I get involved in the Brooklyn Bridge Forest project now? Is this an urgent initiative?
Yes! In order to move the project forward we must demonstrate public interest and commitment. To do this we need the involvement of thousands of supporting members like you. The Department of Transportation has just begun a four-year, $508 million renovation of the Brooklyn Bridge. Work will include seismic retrofitting, ramp widening, and a new coat of paint. This is a perfect time to harness the positive momentum and propose a new sustainable strategy for the Promenade. The planned work does not yet include new decking for the boardwalk, but that will not be too far into the future. Also, WNYC has launched their own Brooklyn Bridge Project, an effort to bring transparency and citizen-led oversight of this federal and state funded stimulus project. This is the perfect time to get involved!
3. What’s the timeline? How soon will my signature appear on the boardwalk?
By most estimates a new wooden boardwalk will need to be installed within the next 6-8 years. It is our intention to have 11,000 committed sponsors represented by that time, as well as the Brooklyn Bridge Forest dedicated and operational. To have all of the planning and partnerships in place will be challenging, but possible if we begin now! As an alternative we may use an incremental sponsorship and board replacement, replacing up to 100 planks at a time with new Brooklyn Bridge Forest sponsored wood. In this case the first signatures could appear in as little as 2 years.
4. What will it cost to be a plank sponsor?
Our goal is to make this project accessible to as many people as possible while reaching the goal of an endowment capable of supporting the forest in perpetuity. To do this we feel that the average plank sponsorship will need to be approximately $1000. We are exploring a graduated sponsorship model, which would allow for a range of contributions from as little as $400 to as much as $5000. However the visible results will be the same for all plank sponsors: one signature, the same size, on one plank.
5. Can corporations support the project?
Absolutely, but plank sponsorships are reserved for individual people. We are currently looking to partner with companies who would like to underwrite the research and feasibility studies the project is undertaking. These corporate or institutional sponsors will have opportunities for visible association with the project, but will not have their names on the bridge. Please contact us if you would like to get involved in this way.
6. How will you get the signatures onto the planks? What will they look like?
We are currently experimenting with two methods of wood-burning the signatures into the hardwood planks. One method involves using a laser-etching device. The other is using local artisans to render the signatures by hand. In either case the signatures will be collected as a PDF file with the sponsorship package, then enlarged to plank size and burned into the boardwalk after the planks have been installed.
7. What type of wood is currently used for the Brooklyn Bridge promenade boardwalk?
At least since the mid 1980s, the Department of Transportation has used Greenheart for the Promenade boardwalk ($4,500 worth of Greenheart is used every year to maintain the boardwalk). The City is concerned about the ethical issues involved with using tropical hardwood as it is currently cut and obtained, and has been investigating possibilities for change. One report from the Office of Long-Term Panning and Sustainability, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Transportation outlines the municipal plan to reduce the use of tropical hardwoods in NYC public spaces and infrastructure. We support the reduction of tropical hardwoods in non-essential applications and where the source of the tropical hardwood is not guaranteed sustainable with FSC minimum standards.
8. Why use wood? Why not replace the Promenade boardwalk with another material?
Although other materials have been explored for the Promenade, wood is truly unique in its environmental, aesthetic and engineering qualities. Wood feels special under the feet, to the touch and the eye – not to mention that wood is the material chosen by John A. Roebling and his son, Washington, in their original design. Wood is also one of the planet’s few truly renewable building materials. It literally “grows on trees” and as it grows it sequesters carbon and produces oxygen. If it is harvested responsibly, wood can bring all of these benefits to our biosphere while providing one of the most beautiful and durable materials ever known.
Furthermore, using a material other than wood such as synthetics or resin-based products will likely require that the promenade structure be re-engineered and rebuilt. This will be very costly and may violate the National Historic Landmark status of the Brooklyn Bridge. Using the original hardwood material will avoid this and ensure that the authenticity of the bridge is maintained (see FAQ #9, #10 and #11 for more on other materials).
9. Why tropical hardwood?
Several species of tropical hardwood, like the Greenheart which is currently used, have exceptional strength and resistance to wear and decay. They can last as long as 35 years in the harsh high-traffic environment of the Promenade - roughly three times longer than local (even chemically-treated) soft wood. Greenheart, for example, is so hard that it cannot be worked with standard tools (read more about the natural properties of Greenheart). Other tropical hardwoods like Cumaru, Massaranduba and Ekki, are almost as strong as Greenheart, and all of these are more durable than European Oak or American White Oak.
10. Why not use a local material (a domestic hardwood) like Black Locust?
Using local resources is a vital part of any sustainability effort, and we fully support initiatives that bring consumption and production closer to home. Today’s reality, however, is incredibly global – and often without the transparency and accountability necessary to ensure best practices. We want to break the “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” cycle, rather than avoid it. We want thousands of new committed eyes on the global problem, and on a local solution!
It should also be said that because the Promenade boardwalk lasts for such a long time (30-35 years), the relative transportation costs of the material in energy terms is very small on the global balance sheet. Meanwhile, we see the prominence of the project as an unprecedented opportunity to implement change where it is urgently needed: in rainforest environment communities and economies that are vulnerable and threatened.
While a domestic hardwood could be an option for the Brooklyn Bridge Forest, most domestic hardwoods are not as durable or strong as tropical hardwoods. Black Locust is one domestic hardwood similar in durability and strength to tropical hardwood and we are excited about what our friends are doing in this growing industry. But Black Locust tends not to grow as large or as straight as tropical hardwood, producing lumber that is shorter than the lengths needed for the boardwalk.
Most importantly, the Brooklyn Bridge Forest is conceived of as a way to reach out to imperiled tropical forests with an outstretched partnering hand from New York City. Much of the world’s deforestation comes from lack of economic alternatives, knowledge, oversight or true value placed on forest products (as in Madagascar and Gabon). The Brooklyn Bridge Forest aims to break that cycle by empowering one region with a sustainable alternative. We see this as a model that can be repeated for many public spaces that use wood products and also aim to protect the environment.
11. What about other materials like recycled plastic lumber, or wood composites? Aren’t these "greener"?
There is a growing variety of synthetic composite lumber on the market, but none offer the proven strength durability of tropical hardwood. Many of these products contain plastics and resins that emit odors and toxins, and are untested for the decades-long requirements of the Promenade. Synthetic lumber materials are generally softer than wood and would likely require structural modifications to the bridge.
12. How big will the Brooklyn Bridge Forest be?
The Promenade boardwalk needs 11,000 planks replaced approximately every 30 years. Considering this replacement cycle, and the low-impact harvesting limits recommended by the FSC, the Brooklyn Bridge Forest will likely require between 2,000 and 10,000 acres depending on species of tree and local geography. This area will provide the 150,000 board feet needed to replacing the boardwalk every 30 years while maintaining all of the ecological attributes of the forest at all times in the cutting cycle.
13. How can cutting down trees be good for a rainforest?
Rainforests around the world are threatened in many different ways. One of the greatest threats is the lack of value placed on rainforests as healthy, multifunctional ecosystems, rather than just a source of financial capital when liquidated. This “either/or” mentality does not recognize that a rainforests can exist as both a source of wealth to its inhabitants, and as a working ecosystem delivering all of its potential benefits to our biosphere. This often leads to dysfunctional situations where poverty-stricken residents (and governments) cannot sustain efforts at conservation (as in Madagascar and Gabon). Consistent and responsible oversight, value and ownership by local peoples and governments are critical to reversing this problem.
Tragically today, unscrupulous logging still ravages our atmosphere, climate, animal habitats, local cultures, and economies. But well-managed sustainable forests offer a unique solution: with selective cutting and cultivation in dedicated areas, forests can be maintained and perpetuated – benefiting the planet with carbon capture, and providing an economic foundation for these developing regions.
14. Who can visit the Brooklyn Bridge Forest?
Our goal is to provide facilities for a range of visitors each year, from tourists to university-led research teams. To manage the impact on the forest the number of visitors will be limited and carefully managed. Brooklyn Bridge Forest sponsors will have priority for individual forest visits.
15. What is the Forest Stewardship Council? What does it mean to be FSC certified?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental non-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests. Primarily, the FSC provides an internationally recognized certification and accreditation system that supports responsible forestry. In order to be FSC certified, a forest manager or a timber company must comply with the highest social and environmental standards, and conform to all applicable FSC rules. Read more about the FSC principles and criteria for responsible forest management here.
16. Which organizations has Brooklyn Bridge Forest been working with?
We have been speaking to and working with many forestry organizations. Please contact us if you are an organization that would like to share your knowledge and ideas.
United Nations Forum on Forests
Futuro Forestal - Community and Forest Foundation, Yale University School of Forestry
The Pinchot Institute - Ecomadera
17. Are there any precedents for the Brooklyn Bridge Forest model?
We are not currently aware of a partnership model exactly like the Brooklyn Bridge Forest. But there are many examples of partnerships between individual sponsors and larger causes, as well as efforts to balance forest conservation with sustainable timber harvesting. If you know of any additional examples to add to the ones listed below, please contact us.
Sponsorship programs:
Many non-profit organizations in New York City have programs where individuals can sponsor a brick, a bench or a tree to show support for their cause. For example, there has been an Adopt-a-Bench program since 1986 to support Central Park, and the newly opened Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center has a seat naming gift program. Another example is the widespread Adopt-a-Highway program, through which sponsoring organizations keep sections of highway free from litter.
Sustainable timber and endowed forests:
In recent years, several new models attempting to balance sustainable forestry with conservation have been proposed and debated in many forests around the world. One historic model is the dedicated forest for the Ise Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. The Ise Shrine is famously rebuilt every 20 years, exactly the same, in a sacred ceremony of purification and renewal. Originally founded about 2,000 years ago, this rebuilding ceremony - "sengu" - has been taking place for the past 1,300 years. Each sengu requires an enormous amount of mature cedar: from 8,500 to 10,000 cubic meters, or about 10,000 logs. In order to provide the lumber for this cyclical reconstruction, a dedicated shrine forest was established. These local trees supplied all the cedar necessary for sengu until the late 14th century, when the source of lumber had to be transferred to another area in Japan (also famous for cedar). In 1923, a reforestation program was implemented at the Ise Shrine forest, planting cedar to be harvested in 200 years for the temple, and simultaneously protecting the headwaters of the nearby Isuzu River.