Climate Leadership Plans Must Include Protecting and Enhancing Our Urban Forests

The Letter:

Suggested subject line: A true climate leader protects the urban forest.

I am pleased to hear our new Council recognizes that if Victoria is to be a “recognized leader in climate mitigation and adaptation action,” we need to do much more. To that end, staff has been tasked with updating the Climate Leadership Plan in 6 specific areas.

What is alarming, however, is that not one of these areas focuses upon a vital component in any climate leadership plan: the protection and enhancement of our urban forest. Mature trees are essential for both cooling and buffering built environments during extreme weather events, and providing vital habitat for biodiversity.

Because 75% of Victoria’s mature trees are on private land, they are imminently threatened by densification and development. Upzoning incentivizes the loss of green space and trees through increased site coverage. We stand to lose much of our tree canopy, leaving our native ecosystems even more vulnerable.

Staff should be directed to provide action plans toward the following omissions in our climate leadership:

• Reframe the false binary of housing versus trees and ecosystems.
• Prevent the loss of plantable areas in neighbourhoods from development.
• Address the need for public green space to grow proportionately to offset the loss of private green space and the expected influx of population due to densification.
• Discourage developers from opting out of saving and planting trees by choosing cash-in-lieu expediency.
• Require meaningful consultations when utility and transportation infrastructure impacts mature trees.
• Formulate and implement a park acquisition strategy.

A city which neglects to protect its urban forest will never be a climate leader.

Sincerely,
(Your name here)

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