Saanich council is expected to endorse the district’s urban forest strategy Monday night, in hopes of protecting the forest it has while fostering a culture of community care for an asset deemed vital for Saanich’s livability.
A draft strategy will be presented to council outlining priorities and goals.
“I think what staff have put together is a plan that allows us to retain trees, continue to contribute to our urban forest tree canopy, making sure that we’re protecting and enhancing the things that most people tell us they value about living in Saanich, the trees and the green space,” said Mayor Dean Murdock. “This urban forest strategy is our path forward to make sure we continue to do that. And I think, importantly, that we continue to focus on areas where they don’t have the same level of tree canopy.”
According to a staff report, the strategy will build on successful policies that have resulted in an urban forest that provides an estimated service value of $13.3 million annually. That figure was included in a recent natural assets inventory that also suggested the existing urban forest stored an estimated $88 million worth of carbon.
Saanich’s urban forest also provides a wide array of essential ecosystem services including shade and cooling, air purification, drainage, carbon sequestration and pollination, all critical for climate change adaptation and resilience, according to the report.
The strategy aims to balance enhancing the forest with the district’s need to provide homes and services for residents.
The report noted Saanich is mandated to increase housing by 4,610 units in the next five years. To maintain balance, the strategy proposes an increase in canopy cover to 44 per cent from the existing 43 per cent by 2064.
To meet the target, an estimated 54,000 new — non-replacement — trees in urban areas are required including 20,000 in streetscapes, 6,000 on Saanich property, and 28,000 on private land.
An additional 50,000 understory trees, seedlings and shrubs will need to be planted in natural forested areas on public lands to support forest succession and regeneration.
Murdock said the district did set a target for itself last year of planting 10,000 trees a year, but he said it will take some time for them to get to that point. The district currently sees about 2,000 trees planted annually.
He said the strategy has a lot of detail around how they hope to build up canopy on the boulevards and some of the district’s parks and green spaces.
“I think we need to have a stronger focus on how we create partnerships with institutional lands and private property owners to get more trees planted as well. It’s going to take a lot of work for us to get to 10,000 trees a year, but I’m confident that we can. We can make that happen,” he said.
Murdock said he hopes the strategy will assuage the fears of some people that the district is removing trees in favour of development at too quick a pace.
“We’re a community that values our urban forest. It’s one of the reasons people love living here,” he said. “Of course, there’s always some trepidation around potential tree loss. And I think that’s shared among members of council, including myself, that we have to ensure that we’re protecting trees and where trees are being removed, that they’re being replaced at a higher rate than they’re disappearing.”
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