<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Andy I do support your position that
one size does not fit all. Although the information below may be over simplistic
...but you are looking at a 20 - 40 year window for significant benefits
regardless of the goal of forest cover.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Factors are based, coming from a farming
community that developed over the last 25 years from a population of
40,000 to 185,000, with most vegetated areas limited to some valley lands
and smaller tracts of woodlots. This is not unlike many other Greater
Toronto area municipalities faced with development pressures. </font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> The move to 40% cover or a locally
set target, 15%, 25% should be determined in my opinion after:</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">1) An inventory even at a high level
using aerial or remote sensing data to establish the baseline forest cover.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">2) Next one would have to look
at the current zoning of the undeveloped parcels of lands to determine
what opportunities may present themselves for existing or future forest
area. Conditions could be placed on the undeveloped lands pro-activley
if there is a strong commitment by all participants.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">3) Evaluate the local Councils position
on what the aim is for percentage of residential, commercial, manufacturing,
and industrial lands, ie. 70% residential, 15% commercial. 15% manufacturing
as a tax base. This helps determine the forest cover opportunities
based on Council + Corporate Policy/Strategic Plan direction. This
also helps to cross reference the existing zoning to be used with the Corporate
direction to see if there is a forecast change in existing zoning to meet
Planning Policy, at some point in the future. This would also
help review for existing/potential forest cover as part of development.
There is an opportunity here to introduce as part of the Planning Policy,
a percentage of a development for forest cover or cash in lieu for
smaller sites to be used to acquire forested sites. This, if successful
would set the Development tone around forest cover and potentially raise
the profile for protection of existing woodlots/hedgerows as part of the
development process. </font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Further cross referencing the Upper
Tier level of Government, ie. Regional, County, on their official plan
and secondary plans can help identify opportunities for green space/forested
areas retention. Conservation Authorities play a significant role
in the watershed areas on forest cover and should be part of the consultation
process. Provincial role is determined by the local policies set out in
legislation and should be incorporated in the strategy .The above can
help develop links on common goal projects which can be presented in
a coordinated manner when development applications come in.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">4) Evaluate existing public lands/open
space for tree cover in tangent with projected community use of the area
to determine the local focus of the community and demographics for the
specific site. ie., recreational facilities and types of use for the area
, ie., picnic trails system, leisure sports, all have an impact on the
viability of adding forest cover. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">5) Of existing sites under ownership
by a public agency review of site specific vegetation and soil structure
to determine what would be appropriate plantings and areas. Also determine
percentage of existing cover as a baseline that could be added too. Long
term plans can be created for phased enhancement/maintenance as resources
allow.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">6) Developing a municipal private tree
bylaw can help raise the awareness of the benefit of trees on private lands,
set the tone for the local Council commitment to the protection of forest
cover, and potentially help improve the planting, maintenance of the existing
private trees.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">6) Have a strategy for the public relations,
both internal and external of the Municipality for presentations for the
entire process and development of community involvement. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Monitor the changes such that they can
be reported on to interested parties to update on percentage of change
in forest cover.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Further have some flexibly in the program
to act quickly when land acquisition opportunities arise that meet the
criteria for forest cover enhancement. This would be determined at the
inventory stage to help monitor or actively approach the property owner(s)
of the public interest in enhancing forest cover.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">This could be fine tuned...but may help
some in the process.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">A bit of a dream maybe but parts are
attainable with commitment ....long term of course.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Other thoughts?</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
Peter Wynnyczuk</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>"Andy Kenney"
<a.kenney@utoronto.ca></b> </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: canufnet-bounces@list.web.net</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> </font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">03/17/2009 09:14 PM</font>
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<div align=center><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to<br>
Canadian Urban Forest Network <canufnet@list.web.net></font></div></table>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td valign=top><font size=1 face="sans-serif">"'Canadian Urban Forest
Network'" <canufnet@list.web.net></font>
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<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
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<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td valign=top><font size=1 face="sans-serif">[CANUFNET] Canopy Cover</font></table>
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<div>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">I think this question of
“where did the 40% canopy cover” value come from, as raised by Dale,
is an very important one. My guess is that it has been passed along
from an estimate that American Forests came up with. However, when
pressed, even AF admits that “one size doesn’t fit all”. I am
concerned that this new-found interest in increasing canopy cover to some
magic number is, in fact, setting urban forest management back! </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">Some food for thought:</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">1) Such
numbers are seldom based on an understanding of what the community’s carrying
capacity is, so we assume there is room to achieve 40%. Perhaps this
might be theoretically possible in many communities but WHERE is the 40%
(what land-use type, what ownership, is it strategically located, etc.)?</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">2) Since
most of our urban forest is on private property, reaching meaningful canopy
cover targets means that we will have to rely heavily on the private sector
not only to establish trees but to TAKE CARE OF THEM for many decades.
Do the communities proposing dramatic increases in canopy cover have
well-developed community engagement programmes to deliver on this? I
have yet to see one even getting close.</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">3) Expansion
of canopy cover is highly sensitive to mortality rates. What is the mortality
rate in your municipality? If we are to increase canopy cover (often
by breathtaking amounts) we surely must have some idea of how quickly we
are LOSING cover? I often hear communities state that they have planted
X number of trees this year, how often is that number accompanied by the
number of trees removed. Oh, and remember, planting a 60 mm B&B
doesn’t account for removing a 900 mm veteran. We don’t have any meaningful
estimates of mortality rates that I am familiar with. Numbers can
be picked out of thin air or educated guesses can be made, but do we have
any scientifically-based mortality rates? That is just mortality
given the usual rigors of city life for trees. When we factor in
climate change, invasive insects, infill development, etc. ……</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">4) Planting
may cost $600 per tree but that isn’t the cost of the tree. Perhaps
we should be suggesting that no tree be planted on city property unless
there is a long-term commitment from council to provide the resources needed
AT LEAST to ensure that the tree lives long enough to contribute to the
environmental, social and economic well-being of the community. Clearly,
that takes some time.</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">But surely proposing expanding
canopy cover can’t be a bad thing for our urban forests! I’m not
so sure. I believe we are in a serious dilemma. It seems that politicians
and others are finally recognizing that urban forests are important and
need support. But the “40%” solution or the “expand canopy cover”
approach is a painful oversimplification of what is needed! The trees
that already exist, especially the large ones, are the ones that are contributing
to the social, economic and environmental quality of our communities. (On
that note, does the community even have a tree inventory to indicate the
current status of the urban forest – not the municipal forest but the
entire urban forest?). There seems to be an ever-increasing head-long rush
to increase canopy cover with, what appears to be little regard for the
issues I raised above. Remember, canopy cover alone tells us very little
about the state of our urban forests (nothing about species diversity,
size class distribution, tree condition, etc.). This simplistically
appealing approach, I fear, will shift any focus from meaningful urban
forest management/stewardship to a programme of tree planting. </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">If your council wants to
dramatically increase canopy cover I suggest you first ask them why. Then,
if you are convinced they really know, insist that this programme to theoretically
increase canopy cover is funded only after your budgets to sustain the
existing canopy are secure. Then ask them to guarantee that resources
will be available to sustain the trees to be planted in this expansion
programme not for a few years after the guarantee but right up to and including
the removal of the big stump that will be left after a BIG tree finally
must come down.</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">Of course we must plant trees
and yes canopy cover is one convenient but simplistic measure of the extent
of our urban forests, but it is incumbent upon us as urban forestry professionals
and stewards to make sure that policy makers don’t dumb-down the
issues to such a degree that the real tasks are left floundering and, after
all the money is spent and the silver-plated shovels have been put away,
the urban forest is less well-off.</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">Sorry for frothing at the
mouth and the run –on sentences, but I was on a roll!</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri">Andy</font>
<br><font size=2 color=#1f497d face="Calibri"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Tahoma"><b>From:</b> canufnet-bounces@list.web.net
[mailto:canufnet-bounces@list.web.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Leadbeater,
Dale<b><br>
Sent:</b> March 17, 2009 6:33 PM<b><br>
To:</b> canufnet@list.web.net<b><br>
Subject:</b> Re: [CANUFNET] CANUFNET Digest, Vol 52, Issue 6</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Arial"> </font>
<div>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Hello:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">I am working on a plan for the City
of Vaughan that is targeting 40% canopy cover, including urban street trees
as well as forest within the core natural heritage network. We have
prepared a draft document that provides the justification for an outcomes
based approach to planning and are in the initial stages of developing
policy. I expect that models like the City of Toronto Ravine By-Law
will be most helpful in pushing the envelope to greater forest cover. We
are linking forest cover to ecosystem services in order to increase value
to the developer.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Do you have a justification for the
40%? How did the recommendation come about? </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Dale Leadbeater, B.Sc., B.Ed.</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Senior Biologist</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">AECOM</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">300 Town Centre Blvd., Suite 300</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Markham, ON L3R 5Z6</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">(905) 477 8400 ext. 229</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">dale.leadbeater@aecom.com</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Does anyone have a comprehensive plan
developed for their city to increase </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">the canopy cover? The Brantford City
Council has directed us to develop a </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">plan to get to 40% canopy cover for
the entire city. We have begun to </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">assess canopy cover and we conclude
that our blvd trees contribute 5% to </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">the canopy cover of Brantford. Is
anyone else working on a similar </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">project? </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">________________________</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Brian Geerts </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Urban Forestry Technician</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">City of Brantford </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Parks & Recreation Department</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">1 Sherwood Drive</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Brantford, ON N3T 1N3</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">519.756.1500 x5511</font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">Fax 519.756.4893 </font>
<br><font size=2 face="Courier New">bgeerts@brantford.ca</font>
<br></div></div>