[CANUFNET] City of Ottawa 's Trees, Reforestation, and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) program Challenge

[Philip van Wassenaer]

Hello all,

 

This is a very nice programme indeed......however like always this is only
tree planting...politically correct yes, nice for the environment yes, good
photo ops and talking points for the politicians yes...

 

Good for the future of urban forests and urban forestry..??????

 

We only see tree planting
where is the strategic planning for the future? If
Ottawa is going to plant 100,000 trees in the next four years, do you have
an appropriate increase in your budget to water, prune and maintain those
trees to maturity? If no then how many trees will actually survive. How much
benefit will we really get?

 

Sorry to all, I do not mean to be too negative, but I have not seen the
anticipated results in terms of huge public engagement from simply planting
trees. In the original e-mail there is a nice statement:

 

Project
“has the prospect of building strong public awareness of the issues
of local governments in our struggle to maintain the environmental integrity
of our communities while providing a venue for promoting simple actions and
individual commitments to environmentally based activities.”

 

 

In fact these projects also have the risk of disengaging the public when
they see the trees they went out to plant, all or mostly dead in the next
few years.

 

I can only get behind this kind of plan if we really are going to get
100,00o trees in the future
..I have not seen that happen to often with
these large scale planting initiatives.

 

My 2 cents!

 

 

Philip van Wassenaer

Mississauga, Ontario

 

-----Original Message-----
From: canufnet-bounces at list.web.net [mailto:canufnet-bounces at list.web.net]
On Behalf Of Mike Prueter
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 10:26 PM
To: Canadian Urban Forest Network
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] City of Ottawa 's Trees, Reforestation,and
Environmental Enhancement (TREE) program Challenge

 

Hello Craig,

 

May I suggest that you look at planting more trees in the fall perhaps after


the first rain in September?  After looking at several drier biogeoclimatic 

subzones in the western part of Canada and especially in the dry portions of


Idaho, USA, we have been able to achieve much higher survival rates and 

seedling performance in the Fall.  The trees are also found to be in sync
with 

the growing cycle when seedlings, either 1+1 or 2+0 's have had bud set and
are 

concentrating in their first season to only grow roots immediately after 

planting.  Expecting seedlings to grow their first season's top-growth in a 

droughty environment going into the hot summer months, without any new roots


has proven to be a serious mistake.  As a silviculturist for many years on
the 

west coast and even as far south as California, records have proven in many
dry 

environments, (and with the trend to more global warming)that this has been 

very successful.  It would be wise to consider this option, and discuss this


especially with your nursery manager/grower prior to deciding on your actual


planting date.  Please take this only as food for thought.

 

Mike Prueter R.P.F.

Maple Ridge, B.C.

 

 

 

Quoting "Huff, Craig" <Craig.Huff at ottawa.ca>:

 

> The City of Ottawa has launched a new Trees, Reforestation, and
Environmental

> Enhancement (TREE) program which aims to enhance the city's urban and
rural

> forests through the planting of 100,000 over the next four years.   Ottawa

> views this program as an inspiration and motivation to build local

> opportunities for partnerships with community groups, schools, businesses,

> corporation, and citizens of all ages in leaving a vital legacy for the

> future of our City. The TREE program responds to the United Nations

> Environment Programme's (UNEP) Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree
Campaign, a

> worldwide initiative to plant one billion trees. The City of Ottawa has

> pledge our commitment of 100,000 trees to this campaign.

> 

> > We believe that the joining together of Canadian municipalities will

> contribute to the planting of millions of trees across the country and as

> such the City of Ottawa's Mayor, has issued a National Tree Planting

> Challenge to all Canadian Municipalities to band together and plant trees
for

> the environment . The National Tree Planting Challenge has the prospect of

> building strong public awareness of the issues of local governments in our

> struggle to maintain the environmental integrity of our communities while

> providing a venue for promoting simple actions and individual commitments
to

> environmentally based activities. For your municipality, it is just a
matter

> of signing on to the UNEP> '> s web site

> <http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign> and recording the number of
trees

> your municipality is planning to plant over the next few years

> > 

> > As the host of the National Tree Planting Challenge, Ottawa agrees to
tally

> and track the commitments of participating municipalities, develop a

> communication network to share interesting planting projects between

> municipalities and with the media and keep the UNEP> '> s > '> Plant a

> Billion Trees> '>  campaign informed of our communal progress.  Hundreds
of

> Challenge Packages (including a Participation Pledge Card) have already
been

> issued to municipal leaders across Canada and there are more to come.  For

> more information on the City of Ottawa's TREE program, the National Tree

> Planting Challenge, or to receive a Participation Pledge card for your

> municipality, please e-mail to TREE at ottawa.ca, call toll free to
866-261-9799

> ext. 1TREE, or visit  www.ottawa.ca/TREE  

> > 

> > We invite you to sign on with Ottawa, plant trees and count your

> municipality into > '> The National Tree Planting Challenge> '> .

> > 

> > 

> > Craig Huff, R.P.F.

> > City Forester, Forestry Services

> > Public Works & Services Department

> > 100 Constellation Cres., 5th Floor

> > Ottawa, ON  K2G 6J8

> > Tel:  613-580-2424 ext. 21138

> > Fax:  613-580-2611

> > Email: craig.huff at ottawa.ca

> > 

> 

> 

> This e-mail originates from the City of Ottawa e-mail system. Any

> distribution, use or copying of this e-mail or the information it

> contains by other than the intended recipient(s) is unauthorized.

> If you are not the intended recipient, please notify me at the

> telephone number shown above or by return e-mail and delete this

> communication and any copy immediately. Thank you.

> 

> Le présent courriel a été expédié par le système de courriels de

> la Ville d'Ottawa. Toute distribution, utilisation ou reproduction

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> 

 

 

 

 

 

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