Executive summary
The importance of trees and the value they provide to municipalities, specifically as it relates to climate change mitigation has been the focus of municipal discourse over the last several years across Ontario and Canada. It is clear now more than ever, urban, and peri-urban regions need trees, as they provide a great deal of social, environmental and economic benefit to a community. The development of a corporate-wide tree protection and enhancement policy provides a framework for the improvement of several bylaws, policies, guidelines, and city-wide programs, so they are clear and consistent in their approach and aligned with the City’s strategic direction as it pertains to the Urban Forest. The policy also satisfies a legislated requirement of the Municipal Act. Section 270 (1) which states: “A municipality shall adopt and maintain policies with respect to the following matters: 7. The manner in which the municipality will protect and enhance the tree canopy and natural vegetation in the municipality.” The Corporate Tree Protection and Enhancement Policy is organized into 4 categories with corresponding policy statements which inform each category:
- Preserve and Protect
- Maintain and Monitor
- Establish, Replace and Enhance
- Engage and Collaborate
Strategic and sustained investment will be key to the appropriate management of tree-related opportunities and challenges as they arise and evolve. Urban forests have tremendous capacity to provide increasing benefits and services to the community as they mature. This policy will help to enrich the City’s urban forest and support the 25-year Strategic Plan goal of achieving 35% canopy cover by 2041.
Climate implications
By establishing a tree protection and enhancement policy that can be applied to all projects, the City will have a framework to more effectively manage the urban forest. This will directly support the increase of the City’s tree canopy cover, which provides direct benefits to climate mitigation through stormwater absorption, carbon sequestration, filtering air particulates, and reducing heating and cooling costs.