Sarnia has fairly good tree canopy coverage in its urban area, but it’s on the decline, according to a draft urban forest management plan.
Sarnia has fairly good tree canopy coverage in its urban area, but it’s on the decline, according to a draft urban forest management plan.
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One of the Goals of the Plan, Led by City Staff and Prepared by Mississauga’s Urban Forest Innovations Inc., is to change that.
The 15-Year draft plan, In the works since 2022 and open for public input at speakupsarnia.ca UNTIL FEB. 28, Has Boosting Urban Canopy Coverage To 23 per Cent by 2025 Among its 46 Action Items.
Doing So Means Planting at least of 1,200 Caliper Trees A Year, The 94-Page Says Document.
Current Urban Tree Canopy Coverage – Excluding Rural Areas – is 22 per cent, but is on pace to fall to 21 per cent by 2050, the report Says.
Sarnia’s Urban Tree Canopy Coverage Ranks Near Guelph, with 23 per cent, and London with 24 per cent. It Says.
But with Sarnia’s Large Area of Farmland Factored in, The City’s Overall 17-Per-Cent Tree Canopy Coverage Mississauga trails, at 19 per hundred, It Says.
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The Focus is on the Urban Area, Said Alex Satel, With Urban Forest Innovations.
If there are opportunities to plant on farmland no long in use, and not expected to be used, sure, he said.
“But certainly not suggesting Farmland Should be Taken over for Urban Forest.”
NOTHER PLAN PRIORITIES INCREASURE IMPROVING CITY DATA ABOUT TREES.
Sarnia has an inventory of about 2,500 city trees on public land Along streets and in parks, but that is fraction of the estimated 8.500 Total Trees on Public Lands in the City, The Draft Report Says.
Meanwhile, Trees on Private Property Make Up About 87 per cent of Sarnia’s Overall Canopy, It Says.
Encouranging Protecting significant Trees on Private Property, Improving City Processs To Better Protect and Account for Trees During Capital Projects, and Focusing More On Preventive Maintenance Also Are part of the plan, that calls for hiring more forest.
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Currently, Forestry Staff Deal With An Average 70 Calls a Month for Tree Maintenance, and younger Trees Aren’t Getting the attention Needed, the report Says.
NOTHER SUPPORTIVE PRIEIRITIES INCLUDED ADDRESSING A TREE PLANTING BACKLOG FOR NEW SUBDIVISIONS IN THE CITY, INCREASING THE FEE FOR PLANTING CITY TREES TO $ 700 FROM $ 250-CURRENT FEES DON’t Cover, Delivery, Installation and Maintenance Costs-Creating A Seven-Year Cycle Cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle cycle For City Street Trees, Meaning Pruning 2,250 trees at Year, and a 10-Year Park Tree Pruning Cycle.
Young Trees also need more attention, with at least three inspections and spring rounds in their first 10 years, the plan draft say.
A Final Version of the Plan, with a vision to boost native species and community awaraness about the benefits of the urban forest, is expected to come to council for considering the later in March.
Environmental, Economic and Societal Benefits of the City’s Urban Forest Included $ 2.6-Million annulyly in Air Pollution Removal, Carbon Sequestration and Stormwater Runoff Avoidance, Satel Said.
Meanwhile The Canopy is Threatened by More Destructive Weather via Climate Change, Urban Development, Pests and Diseases, He Said.
Specific Costs for the Plan Action Item Haven’t Been Tallied, He Said.
Some are procedural and will have minimal impact, While Others Might Cost Hunds of Thousands of Dollars, He Said.
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