Security for the United Nations General Assembly involves thousands of NYPD police officers, Secret Service agents, diplomatic security service officers, the Coast Guard — and city Department of Transportation workers with pruning shears. Since at least 2013, this Gothamist reporter has noticed transportation employees cutting down a large princess tree on First Avenue near East 47th Street every year ahead of the General Assembly. Liam QuigleyThis year marks the 80th General Assembly, with high-level meetings kicking off Monday. Botanist Lydia Paradiso, who recently completed a dissertation on New York’s spontaneous urban flora, said the princess tree is "super resilient." A botanist said the princess tree will grow back.