PA DEP DECLINES TO APPROVE PARKS AND RECREATION’S PLAN TO CUT DOWN 300 TREES IN FDR PARK

PHILADELPHIA, PA  (February 21, 2025) – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declined to approve Philadelphia Parks and Recreation’s recent water obstruction and encroachment permit application related to the proposed redevelopment of FDR Park. Instead, DEP issued a deficiency letter which outlined several concerns with the current plan, including the failure to analyze alternatives to the destruction of trees and other natural resources. The proposal calls for the removal of 300 trees and fails to map many other trees that may be removed from FDR park. The deficiency letter also points out that the application did not demonstrate how the benefits of the project would outweigh the harms to the public and the environment.

“The public has been extremely strong and consistent in speaking out against this destructive plan, and DEP listened,” said Alex Bomstein, Clean Air Council Executive Director. “DEP recognizing the significant problems with this permit is a win for climate resilience, Philly’s tree canopy, the local ecosystem, and the many people who use the park.”

“They want to install 33 acres of toxic turf at the cost of destroying hundreds of trees and erasing 80 years of ecological growth and benefits—a do-over we can’t afford,” said Avigail Milder of Save The Meadows. “That’s the centerpiece of the Master Plan. The so-called Nature Phase is just a distraction. Thankfully, the DEP realized that.”

This permit was applied for under Pennsylvania’s Chapter 105 regulations which state that, “Work shall be conducted in a manner to minimize the destruction of or damage to trees and other vegetation on and adjacent to the construction site.” Parks and Rec’s proposal to destroy over 300 trees in FDR Park clearly did not meet that standard. Parks and Rec’s required “alternatives analysis” did not consider protecting the 300 existing trees in the proposed project area.

If Parks and Rec seek to continue with its proposal, it must respond to DEP’s deficiency letter within 60 days addressing the concerns or completely reapply for its proposed Chapter 105 water obstruction and encroachment permit.