THE CONSULTANT 

E. Lees & Associates and Consulting Ltd. has been selected to work with Saanich Parks to develop an Urban Forest Strategy. Over the next two months Erik’s team will be engaging staff, Council Committees and Neighbourhood Associations, seeking their input on the Urban Forest.

PUBLIC INPUT

Our survey is now complete.  Thank you for your input.  We will post the results at a later date.

If you have comments or concerns please email parks@saanich.ca

OPEN HOUSE

In late May the community will have an opportunity to participate in an Open House to help shape the vision and priorities of the strategy.

BACKGROUND

Saanich Parks manages trees located on Public and Private Property.  The public trees are located in 160 park properties covering over 750 hectares and on approximately 580 kilometers of urban and rural street boulevards and medians. Saanich Parks also protects indigenous trees and natural plant communities on private lands through a Tree Preservation Bylaw.  This work is conducted through the Parks Division of the Parks and Recreation Department.

PURPOSE

To develop an Urban Forest Strategy that retains where possible existing tree cover, promotes additional tree planting, and acknowledges the importance of contiguous canopy cover.  It should address the retention and planting trees in boulevards, parks other municipal lands as well as private lands, to expand the urban forest and act as mitigation in regards to climate change. It should promote and encourage the protection and designation of indigenous, significant and wildlife trees. It must also include a review and recommend amendments to the Tree Preservation Bylaw.

The Urban Forest Strategy will recommend direction and actions that will allow Saanich to optimize the benefits of it urban forest by envisioning and enabling an integrated and sustainable approach to preserving trees and enhancing Saanich’s Urban Forest.

Some of the project objectives are:

• Align Urban Forest Strategy with the Official Community Plan and Saanich 2008-2012 Strategic Plan;
• Develop, with community input, a vision for the Urban Forest for Saanich for the period up to and including 2025;
• Consult with the community, parks users, and Saanich staff regarding Saanich’s urban forest management program;
• Conduct a review of the current urban forest program including documents, bylaws, policies, resources, priorities, successes and service gaps;
• Develop and introduce policies and programs that ensures development policies and practices continue to be compatible with serving the community, the economy and the environment;
• Develop an inventory of and strategies for urban forest management issues in Saanich
• Develop canopy cover benchmarks;
• Identify an action plan of the Urban Forest Strategy priorities for 2009 – 2015.