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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnv - Urban Forest Management Plans - Pilot ProjectA Sustainable Urban Forest For Today and Future Generations ~. ~~ _~ _ ~: ~r ~ ~~` ~ __ F~ PI-p-NT Trees planted around 1892, became mature trees 60 years later(1954). In 2010, 119 years later some of the trees are still Z 'O alive providing benefits to ~ ~O the community ~~ ~~ ~~ /~ ~P Schneider & David St. 1954 (H. Russel) Schneider & David St. 2009 Schneider & David St. 1982 (H. Russel) Report Context Creating a Sustainable Urban Forest Yellow Fish Road Program Context Trees and the larger urban forest play an important role in the economic, environmental and social health of a community. Aligned with the City's strategic priorities, the urban forest plays an important role in issues important to the community including air quality, social benefits and storm water man- agement. The interest and participation from the community also shows a high level of support for Kitchener's urban forest. A sustainable urban forest is one that maximizes the benefits to the community for the least cost for current and future generations. Recognizing the lifespan of trees and the permanence of natural areas, a long term vision and plan is essential. The primary focus of this report is on lands owned and managed by the City. Recognizing the importance and role of the private urban forest much of the content of this report also applies to private lands. Staff are bringing this information to the Environmental Committee as information and to receive feedback. In June, staff will return to the committee with recommendations for developing a sustain- able urban forest. Painted turtle with radio transmitter Stewardship Rangers Winter Nature Walk Kitchener's Urban Forest A Forest Within the City The urban forest includes all of the planted and naturally occurring trees on public and private lands. Viewed from above individual trees create a forest canopy that covers many parts of the city. A living organism, trees are a key part of the urban ecosystem and intricately connected to the surrounding living and non-living parts of the urban ecosystem. Components of the Public Urban Forest • Street Trees • Active Parkland (e.g. Victoria Park) • Natural Areas • Cemeteries & Golf Courses • Other City Lands • Other Gov't Agencies (GRCA) Components of the Private Urban Forest • Residential Property • Commercial & Industrial Lands • Agricultural Lands Community Support The support for Kitchener' s urban forest is strong. Since early 2000 the City has had some of the most progressive tree protections standard on road reconstruction projects due to community de- mand. Neighbourhoods (e.g. Westmount & Auditorium Neighbhourhood Associations) value their trees and have a keen interest in keeping their trees and community healthy. Community groups (e.g. Friends of Laurentian Wetland, Residents of Lakeside Park) are being cre- ated out of their concern and interest in local natural area. Kitchener's Natural Areas Program, a pro- gram that offers stewardship and educational programs, is growing at an exponential rate and contin- ues to build partnerships (e.g. Evergreen Foundation, Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalist, Waterloo Stewardship Network). Policy & Strategic Connections Trees and natural areas on city lands are the responsibility of the Operations Division, and are pro- tected under City Bylaws. The Planning Department is responsible for Natural Heritage Planning and the conservation of trees during development. The urban forest is recognized in the City's Parks Master Plan and Strategic Plan for the Environment. Kitchener's urban forest will be part of the new Official Plan and is one of the twelve assets identified in the City's Asset Management Project. Rec- ognizing the benefits of the urban forest, direct links can also be made to the City's Plan for a Healthy Community and Strategic Plan. { '~ { ~! ,: 2- Aview of Kitchener's Urban Forest from City Hall Trees & A Healthy Community The Economic, Environmental & Social Benefits The historical view of the urban forest was that it provided aesthetic beauty to the community and was something that was supported in good times. Today the empirical biological and social science data shows the urban forest is an essential asset that helps build and maintain a healthy community. Environmental Services from the urban forest • Air quality • Economic development and aesthetics • Energy savings • Human health and well-being • Local climate modification • Natural & cultural heritage conservation • Safer communities • Stormwater, water quality, flooding & erosion • Wildlife habitat iTree Eco Developed by the United States Forest Service, iTree Eco is a scientifically tested model that can accurately quantify the value of the urban forest. First developed to calculate the benefits of the urban forest in terms of carbon sequestration and the mitigation of air pollutants, the model was recently expanded to include a hydrological component, and work is underway to add a social component. In setting up permanent sample points, iTree Eco also becomes a long term monitoring program of the public and private urban forest. It has become the standard throughout North America and the world for communities that want an accurate picture of the value of their urban for- est. Anumber of municipalities in southern Ontario have already completed an iTree Eco study. The chart below summarizes the results for London, Oakville and Toronto. A review of the data shows that the value and contributions of the urban forest is significant. Kitchener would benefit from carry- ing out its own iTree Eco study. iTree Eco -Replacement Value & Annual Environmental Services London Oakville Toronto Replacement Value 1.5 billion 878 million 7 billion Annual Environmental Services 6.6 million 2.1 million 60 million (calculated values are for the public and private urban forest) Experiencing & writing about nature Corporate Asset Management Includes the Public Urban Forest Asset management is the provision of a required level of service in a cost effective manner at an acceptable level of risk. The City's street and park trees and natural ar- eas are one of the twelve corporate assets identified by the City. Asset management includes maintaining an inventory of the resource, linking the inventory data to the work order system, identifying life cycles, service levels, operational and management plans. Determining What You Have -Inventories Operations is making good progress taking inventory of the public urban forest resource. A GIS based program has been used to inventory all City street trees, and will be used this summer to map trees in parks. Branch sampling is being used to determine the density and presence of Emerald Ash Borer. Advanced tree assessment tools are used to preserve old growth trees on city streets. Natural area data (vegetation mapping, rare plant species, park infrastructure, invasive species, wildlife and aquatic inventories) is maintained in a GIS database. Life Cycles Managing the life cycle is a key component of asset management. In contrast to other assets, trees are living organisms and increase in value as they age. Recognizing this, sustainable urban forest management requires that traditional asset management be integrated with ecosystem management. The figure below, for a large stature tree, shows that the tree does not start providing significant benefits until its' mid to mature lifestages. To ensure goals set by the community are achieved Best Management Practices that control management and maintenance are required. Life Cycle Plant Establish Young Mid Age Mature Heritage Age (yr) 0 1 - 2 3 -25 26 - 50 51 - 100 > 100 Value Low Low Moderate High Very High High Best Management Practices The use of Best Management Practices(BMP) ensures that decisions and actions are based on the best knowledge at the time, and that tasks are carried out in a cost effective manner. With advances in knowledge and science BMP need to be updated as required. This is best achieved through adaptive management. The success of new practices also needs to be measured through the setting of performance targets. 2- EAB gallaries found during branch sampling Tree Canopy Kitchener's Tree Canopy is 22% Tree canopy is a measure of the percentage of the City covered by trees. American Forests recommends communities work towards achieving 40% tree canopy. Tree Canopy by Ward The figure to the right shows the percent trE canopy by ward. Measuring Tree Canopy In leaf aerial photography from 2007 was used to determine Kitchener's tree canopy. Spatial analysis work was completed by the University of Vermont. The existing and potential tree canopy were determined. How does Kitchener compare? Compared to other municipalities that have completed a tree canopy study in southern Ontario Kitchener's tree canopy falls in the middle. Establishing Tree Canopy Goals Municipalities have started to set tree canopy goals (e.g. Oakville 40%, Toronto 35%). Prior to Kitchener establishing a tree canopy goal it should first determine the total leaf area and density. This is best done through an iTree Eco study. Street Trees Much more than aesthetic beauty The planting of trees along Kitchener's streets has been a tradition since the late 1800's. Today more than 45,000 trees line residential streets. Like other parts of the urban forest, street trees provide much more than aesthetic beauty. Street Tree Inventory Inventories provide a big picture view of the urban forest. A look at the diameter classes of the street trees shows that 74% of the trees are less than 30cm in diameter. As these trees grow into the larger diameter classes the benefits the community gains from the street trees will increase significantly. The species diversity data shows four genuses (Maple, Basswood, Ash, Ivory Silk) that account for 75% of the street tree population. With the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer, 10% of the population may be lost over the next ten years. Access to this type of information allows urban forest managers to make good decisions that maximize the benefits to the community in a cost effective manner. Westmount Neighbhourhood Association With funding through LEAF, Operations is developing a pilot street tree management plan with the Westmount Neighbourhood Association. This project came about through the neighbourhood's concern about their declining street trees and the City's recognition of the need for a sustainable management plan. Currently staff are working with the community to address their concerns while also setting in place a long term plan. Several key strategies (e.g. master tree planting plan, stewardship and education, tree and soil habitat conservation, structural pruning, Norway maple management and removal plan, and an implementation plan) are key themes in the plan. This pilot project will also provide the framework for future plans. The Auditorium Neighbourhood Association has already expressed an interest in seeing a similar plan developed for their area. 2-7 Pilot Street Tree Management Plan Kitchener's Natural Areas Nature in the City Valued by the community, natural areas are one of the strategic themes in the Parks Master Plan. Natural areas are the most dominant piece of the City's park system accounting for more than 60% (975 hec) of the park land base. Natural areas provide significant benefits to the community. The primary goals are to conserve the City's natural heritage, while providing places where people can experience nature in the city. Kitchener's Natural Areas Program With the hiring of a full time Natural Area Coordinator there has been significant growth in Kitchener's Natural Areas Program. Community interest in the programing continues to grow. Education and stewardship are key elements of a sustainable urban forest program. As this program grows the community becomes more aware of the natural environment and what they can do to help conserve these areas for future generations. Pilot Natural Area Management Plan Friends of Laurentian Wetland With funding through LEAF, Operations is developing a pilot natural area management plan for the Laurentian Wetland. The project evolved from a teacher at W T Townsend School who had an inter- est and concern about the local wetland. Kitchener's Natural Areas Program became involved with an event hosted by the school and local neighbourhood. Since that time the interest has expanded to include the Williamsburg Community Centre, John Sweeney School, Kitchener Waterloo Field Naturalists and the community at large. In developing a natural area management plan a number of issues must be addressed including: the dual purpose of the wetland in terms of natural heritage conservation and storm water management, conservation (e.g. turtles) and management (e.g. Canada Geese) of wildlife, appropriate public access, invasive species, habitat expansion and encroachments. Once completed this pilot project will provide the framework for other plans. Other community groups have already expressed an inter- est in seeing a project like this in their neighbhourhood(e.g. Residents of Lakeside Park). Meadow Restoration Current & Emerging Issues For a Sustainable Urban Forest 1. Emerald Ash Borer(EAB) The cost and impact of EAB will be significant. For the City's 4,522 ash street trees the cost will be 4.5 million dollars over ten years to remove and replace these trees. The cost for the City to deal with trees in its' parks and natural areas is not currently known. Burlington estimates their costs will ex- ceed 10 million dollars. Recently developed tools and practices now allow municipalities to manage the costs and impacts of EAB. 2. Global Warming Climate change will impact the urban forest. While warming trends provide opportunities for new tree species the performance of some existing species will also decline. 3. Large Stature Trees & Soil Habitat Recognizing that large stature trees at maturity provide the greatest benefits to the community, action must be taken to ensure that; 1) existing large stature trees and their soil habitat are managed and protected, and 2) that new tree planting efforts focus on the planting of large stature trees and the establishment of the required soil volumes to grow trees to their mature size. 4. Intensification & Competing Interests Creating a sustainable urban forest requires that the biological needs of mature trees be planned for, and that trees be given equal consideration during development. New planning strategies that focus on intensification and the establishment of bike lanes are just two examples of the potential of losing tree canopy unless the requirements of trees are recognized and planned for. 5. Invasive Species Through human activity invasive species have become a serious threat to natural areas. Dog strangling vine, Buckthorn and Garlic mustard are three of the more serious threats. Education, stewardship and active management of invasive species (hand pulling, chemical control) will be necessary to conserve the integrity of Kitchener's natural areas. 6. Encroachments Encoachments into natural areas are a serious problem that have negative impacts on the structure and function of natural areas. Addressing public use and the way people live adjacent to natural areas will be a key theme in the managemnet plans. 6. Stewardship & Active Management As seen through the growth of Kitchener's Natural Areas Program there is a strong interest in urban forestry stewardship. Coupled with active management these two activities will be key elements in developing a sustainable urban forest. 2- Urban Forest Sustainability Maximizing the economic, environmental & social benefits A sustainable urban forest is one that maximizes the benefits to the community for the least cost for current and future generations. Recognizing the lifespan of trees and the permanence of natural areas a long term vision and plan is essential. While the City cannot achieve a sustainable urban forest on its own, it does have the opportunity to provide leadership on this issue. Community engagement, education and stewardship will be the key elements. To provide direction, staff have developed eight urban forestry principles to guide community participation, long term planning\asset management, the development of management and implementation plans, best management practices, urban forest operations along with future capital and operational funding. Urban Forest Principles 1. Recognize the urban forest as an important community asset contributing to a healthy city. 2. Engage the community in the conservation, management and stewardship of the urban forest. 3. Maximize the economic, environmental and social benefits in a sustainable manner for a healthy city. 4. Optimize the urban tree canopy. 5. Manage the public urban forest infrastructure within an integrated asset and ecological framework. 6. Use emerging science, technology and practices to create a sustainable urban forest. 7. Protect, manage and renew the public tree resource and soil habitat. 8. Conserve and restore public natural areas while providing community access. "Keeping large stature trees healthy and functional is one of the best investments communities can make." Dr. McPherson Centre for Urban Forest Research Pacific Southwest Research Station Forest Service, USDA Determining the structural intergrity of an old tree. Next Steps Questions Next Steps • Urban Forest Webpage Launched on City Website (March 29th) • Westmount Neighbhourhood Association Public Meeting (March 29th) Presentation of the Draft Street Tree Management Plan • Urban Forest Sustainability -Public Information Session (April -May) • Laurentian Wetland Pilot Natural Area Management Plan (Ongoing) • Recommendations - A Sustainable Urban Forest -For Today & Future Generations Presentation to Environmental Committee (June 2011) • Recommendations - A Sustainable Urban Forest -For Today & Future Generations Presentation to Community & Infrastructure Services -~~ ~_ View from City Hall overlooking Victoria Park Questions for the Environmental Committee 1. Recognizing the economic, environmental and social benefits of the urban forest, does the Committee support the idea of developing a sustainable urban forest? 2. Does the Committee have any comments concerning the proposed "Urban Forest Principles"? 2 - 11 Invasive Species Removal 2-12