By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, June 28, 2017
New forest management plan will protect and increase urban trees
The City of Ottawa has a new approach to take care of the urban tree canopy.
Council endorsed an urban forest management plan, which was one of the strategic initiatives for this term.There is an increasing awareness about the city’s trees as more are destroyed by the emerald ash borer.
The 20-year plan, which is broken down into five four-year programs starting in 2018, makes sure the city is tracking the status of trees, protecting trees and prioritizing plantings. The city wants its trees to be considered a critical infrastructure asset.There are 26 recommendations the city wants to adapt over the 20-year plan to protect existing trees and enhance the canopy within the urban boundary.
Ecology Ottawa believes the plan could be a “game-changer” in tree protection and community engagement on planting programs. The organization has a petition with more than 11,000 names of people who want a strong forest management strategy.
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