[CANUFNET] Trees and Capital Construction

Wed Feb 24 16:07:52 EST 2021

“Since I-Tree is a peer-reviewed scientifically approved quantification methodology, it has been shown to be a critical component in leveraging funds for UF management. The cost-to-benefit analyses are an excellent way of proving the value of trees to those who think in engineering terms.”

I agree with this but once you get your program running there is a diminishing value in investing in another i-tree assessment. Funds can be better spent on critical UF management tasks…

Philip

Philip van Wassenaer, B.SC., MFC

Urban Forest Innovations Inc.

1331 Northaven Drive

Mississauga ON L5G 4E8

Tel:  (905) 274-1022

Cell: (647) 221-3046

Fax: (905) 274-2170

www.urbanforestinnovations.com <http://www.urbanforestinnovations.com/> 

From: CANUFNET <canufnet-bounces at list.web.net> On Behalf Of Naomi Zurcher via CANUFNET
Sent: February 24, 2021 9:24 AM
To: Canadian Urban Forest Network <canufnet at list.web.net>
Cc: Naomi Zurcher <treerap at sprintmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Trees and Capital Construction

Hi Art:

I would also like to suggest that if one has to present value in monetary terms, that an I-Tree Eco assessment be incorporated into any inventory and that the required data be run through I-Tree which will result not only in volume mitigated of such things as air pollution but the value of that in local currency.

Since I-Tree is a peer-reviewed scientifically approved quantification methodology, it has been shown to be a critical component in leveraging funds for UF management. The cost-to-benefit analyses are an excellent way of proving the value of trees to those who think in engineering terms.

Naomi

On Feb 23, 2021, at 7:21 PM, Art Maat via CANUFNET <canufnet at list.web.net <mailto:canufnet at list.web.net> > wrote:

Hello all. 

I have been following the thread on the importance of urban trees as assets and the value of trees from a monetary perspective.  

In order to be able to convey the value of your trees to the administrative bodies that typically think in engineering terms, a quality GIS database is required that works for trees and was designed for trees. The database should be completely bi directionally compatible with the GIS mega systems that PW typically relies on in larger cities.   

The database should be the single point of truth and provide you with easy to use tools for ongoing tree valuation and tree assessments as they mature. 

Screenshots below show trees in the Nektar GIS platform and actual trees in our LiDAR point cloud viewer where accurate location and DBH can be confirmed or updated. 

These trees were recently inspected and assessed in preparation for preservation and protection designation within the new Valley Line West LRT right of way. The project is in early design stages by the Colas / Parsons partnership for the City of Edmonton. 

Art Maat
President, CEO

Nektar Inc.,
 <tel:780-937-4056> 780-937-4056  - Mobile
 <http://www.nektardata.com/> www.nektardata.com

  <https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=15gE-uQEyLI3qasO7EM7Q_YQf65fA-yLP&revid=0B6HiU6rQmra6K0NaWW9VN09DNk0rUnJZcUdJaWJaeGk5RDhVPQ> 

On Tue, Feb 23, 2021 at 6:59 AM Ethier Elaine via CANUFNET <canufnet at list.web.net <mailto:canufnet at list.web.net> > wrote:

Hello,  

Assets, love this sound. Trees are power plants. Way long ago and less today. The power of trees is aesthetic, beautiful shelter, sweet smelling, colourful, attractive for all life forms upper - underground ;  nourishing fruits & nuts, and way beyond depending of who needs cherries, mychoryze or maple syrup ; structural, one must read Jeanne Millet, Oldeman (as in standing master tree) surpassing human behaviour and, last but not least, Frederic Back. This book uses a protected title : L’ Architecture des arbres des régions tempérées. Why is architecture a protected term when used for trees, tools, data, etc.? Because it is a science. Infrastructure is not a protected word. Tree is not a protected word, but it is a designated reign.  Nevertheless it is a structure, infra, supra, infra bio, infra strato. It is a power plant. It is the best skin protection, it is the macrobiot for biomass in urban protection, it is beautiful, it heals just at sight and the most refined water pump of an inner circle. 

Elaine Ethier 

Plani Gester

Aménagement, foresterie urbaine

Le 17 févr. 2021 à 13:44, Mark Carroll <environment1st at rogers.com <mailto:environment1st at rogers.com> > a écrit :

Public tree bylaw, and a lot of fist pounding on a desk. I have been working for 5 years to change the ways in our part of the country. It is always a struggle being in the GTA. Economic factors always seems to win over the environment.  

The Public Tree Bylaw not only saves or preserves the tree, but it also saves the habitat needed to survive.

It is always important to get public support for trees. This goes a long way in making the Planning Department listen to the Urban Forestry Department. 

Every Municipality has an environmental policy. It is good to know the wording in those policies and use those words to help preserve trees and provide green infrusture in all capital projects. 

In Ontario there is a lot on Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development in the Provincial Policy Statement. Municipal Planners are kind of bound when making decisions to the Provincial Policy Statement. Not sure what you may have in Nova Scotia. 

You may want to look at Asset Management for all green Infrastructure. Trees can be great assets and valuable assets to any municipality. All green infrastructure should be looked as valuable assets. Trees should be ok different than a Play Structure in a Park, a fire hydrant, a lamp post, a sidewalk. All valuable assets and what makes a community. 

Mark Carroll

Urban Forester Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
ISA Certified Arborist, Qualified Arborist Tech
Taking our environment first
Thanks for connecting...Stay Green

On Wed., 17 Feb. 2021 at 1:16 p.m., Ethier Elaine via CANUFNET

<canufnet at list.web.net <mailto:canufnet at list.web.net> > wrote:

Hello, 

In Montreal, when burrows were legal municipal entities, all had bylaws depending on the amounts of parks, their use and value of the residential realty. Westmount, Outremont, Town of Mont Royal, the Golden Mile and some Garden cities were ahead in applying innovative methods of green protection and city scapes.

As cities went into a major fusion to become almost an entire city island, many new protection initiatives have been put in place with the fusion, 2005 was the year marking urban forestry Best practices with new bylaws. The Mount Royal heritage has its own protection plan as it is a emblematic parc. But for other burrows, there is a fifteen year gap in restoring, updating  or renewing street tree project. In highly densely populated burrows, no new plans, street trees are replaced in the same manner as planted 40/50 years ago, the same small rectangular pitch. 

In residential areas, Street corners are treated with new approaches but not as many tall trees have space. The approach is for citizen gardening take over. 

Large tree removal is rarely appreciated for it’s wood mass value unless it’s a remarkable speeches. Parc Jean Drapeau on a historical island had massive cuttings of mature trees without consultation. There is a lot of this happening with the greater montreal TOD plan and the REM. All natural benefits are replaced by economic rendering for the cost of these infrastructure.

The urban canopy will not have the same biomass, populations of our Nordic zone will have less tree canopy per inhabitants than in the past. Announces of planting trees are welcome but the size of the selected mature height and spread are tailored down because of vertical building density. The human scope for major construction are trees just tall enough for two stories.

Montréal has planted massively in parc all over, the Emerald Ash Borers are devastating street scapes. 

Many boroughs (Park Extension/Hochelaga Maisonneuve/Rosemont/Montreal North to name a few) have limited their bylaw to propose, when issuing permit for tree removal, to plant a high dimension indigenous tree if and when possible. So Yellow Birch is coming back to town as alley or street trees because they are tall trees.

Elaine Ethier 

Plani Gester

Aménagement, foresterie urbaine

Le 17 févr. 2021 à 10:19, Wood, Crispin via CANUFNET <canufnet at list.web.net <mailto:canufnet at list.web.net> > a écrit :

Hello Folks,

A question or two for the municipalities if I may:

A.	How does you municipality protect trees when designing (not constructing) streetscape renewal projects? i.e. Do you have policy, strategy, orders of council etc?
B.	How does your municipality compensate for mature trees removed during capital construction (do you have a calculation of value, and is it published in policy, bylaw or strategy)?
C.	How do you plan for new green infrastructure in the Road Right-of-way (do you have landscape design standards, streetscaping standards, policy to protect or enhance green infrastructure)?
D.	Are your current tools working?

Any responses are appreciated

Crispin Wood, MSFM

Superintendent of Urban Forestry

Road Operations & Construction

Transportation & Public Works

(902) 225-2774 

HΛLIFΛX

PO BOX 1749 

HALIFAX NS B3J 3A5
 <http://www.halifax.ca/> halifax.ca 

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