[CANUFNET] Re; Soil Volume requirements in Subdivision agreements

[Mike James]

I wanted to comment on Brett Woodman's take on the NOUFSMP as per below.



First off the plan sets out soil volume standards for different size trees.  The plan notes that 15m3/tree is the soil volume for small stature trees. (Page 32 7.4.4)

The NOUFSMP also contemplates using various "engineered rooting environment" technologies to assist in achieving soil volumes both in residential and parking lot applications.





Staff may be recommending that 15m3 of soil be set as a minimum or 7.5m3/tree when sharing soil volume but that would provide far less canopy than set out in the NOUFSMP for residential areas. It would also be far less than the soil volume standards for neighboring Markham or Toronto.  The Markham and Toronto standards call for 30m3 of soil/tree or 15m3 of soil/tree when sharing soil volumes.  They also recommend the use of "engineered rooting environments" to assist reaching these targets.  I am glad to see that it is being recommending that the minimum soil volume be increased to 30m3 of soil but why "without the use of engineered rooting environments (SilvaCells or CU Soil), each volume of soil will be a minimum of 30m3"? This only creates a situation where the defacto standard will almost always be 15m3 of soil.



If you are setting canopy targets in your Urban Forestry Plan but do not mandate adequate minimum soil volumes to grow large enough trees to achieve these targets then all is for naught.



It has always been our position that Street Trees are municipal infrastructure.

As such they should have "shop drawings" like all of the other pieces of municipal infrastructure that dictate the proper conditions necessary for the tree to mature and provide the city with all of the measurable financial and environmental benefits that were promised.  This must include adequate soil volumes for the size and health of tree that you have specified to reach your canopy targets.



Mike James
DeepRoot Canada Corp.
Tel: 1 800 561 3883
Tel:  (604) 687-0899
Cell: (604) 220 9521
Fax: (604) 684-6744
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> Shelley,

>

> Attached is a draft version of the North Oakville Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan.  It has not yet been adopted by council, but we are working closely with a sub-committee of council and anticipate that it will be approved with some revisions early in the New Year.  Of relevance to your question is that we are requiring a minimum of 15m3 of soil per tree with a depth of 750mm.  Where more than one tree is planted in a single volume of soil, they are allowed to share, so that not every tree requires 15m3. We anticipate revising the wording to read that where possible, without the use of engineered rooting environments (SilvaCells or CU Soil), each volume of soil will be a minimum of 30m3. This proposed standard, while developed for North Oakville will be applied Town-wide.  Let me know if you have any questions.

>

> Brett Woodman

> Terrestrial and Wetland Biologist / Certified Arborist Natural

> Resource Solutions Inc.

> Waterloo, ON

> (519) 580-0098

> http://www.nrsi.on.ca/

>


Mike James
DeepRoot Canada Corp.
Tel: 1 800 561 3883
Tel:  (604) 687-0899
Cell: (604) 220 9521
Fax: (604) 684-6744
:: Web<http://www.deeproot.com/>
:: Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Deep-Root-Partners-LP/270848539185?ref=ts>
:: Blog<http://www.deeproot.com/blog/index.php>


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