1. I support the recently passed Urban Forest bylaw which (for the first time in Colwood) requires a permit for tree cutting of private property, and requires replacement (new planting) of trees that are removed (alternatively, a homeowner can pay $250 per tree removed to support planting new trees on city land). I will also propose and support taking this work to the next step, and developing an urban forest management plan so that we can monitor the effects of the bylaw and of development decisions on the tree canopy and take steps to ensure growth rather than shrinkage and lightening of the canopy.

2. I would like to see an urban forest management plan completed in the next four years therefore I will propose it as part of the new strategic plan for Colwood whether elected on not.

3. Where a person pays to support planting on City land, this money is placed in a dedicated fund towards the planting of new trees on City land. I also intend to advocate for budgets that include a realistic budget for parks and park maintenance (not currently achieved) which should include at least some additions to the canopy every year..

4. This is already part of the City’s development process. However, it sometimes happens that a developer is made to go to great lengths to protect a tree, which soon dies because its environment has been significantly changed post-construction. In some cases, a better approach is to put the effort and emphasis on a significant and well thought out replanting plan, which will give the City a better (more complete, more oxygen-producing, etc.) tree canopy in the coming years than protecting a single tree.

5. Colwood’s new bylaw has a fine of between $1000 and $10,000 for an offence under the bylaw, which includes harming or removing a tree without a permit.

1. City of Colwood has recently put a tree bylaw in place that addresses many of the questions you have asked. You can look it up online at City of Colwood.

2. As above

3. Bylaw and increased Parks budget to manage parks and green space ‘assets’

4. We do but it is not always feasible…mature trees are often more sensitive to ground disturbances. We have a ‘replacement’ formula within the bylaw.

5. MTI has approved penalties for tree damage or unauthorized removal

Thank you for this opportunity.

1. I am a supporter of Colwood’s Interim Urban Forest Bylaw #1710. While not perfect it is a start. I believe in fact based decision making. After a review of the data from this bylaw, I will support strengthening it if the data shows we need to do so. We simply don’t know how many trees are being cut in the community or even what our tree inventory consists of.

https://www.colwood.ca/city-hall/bylaws/1710/urban-forest-bylaw

2. Green space is important to me as are the myriad benefits of trees. I am a garden writer and garden destination marketer, I understand the value of our flora and would like to see it preserved and enhanced.

3. We need an inventory of trees in Colwood. I would support first identifying exactly how many trees we have, of what type, where they are located, health, age, and at risk situation. Perhaps we could us an online app such as Plants Map https://www.plantsmap.com to start the process. When people understand exactly what they have, they are more apt to want to preserve, protect, and enhance.

4. I favour a replacement model which incorporates guaranteed care over a long period of time for any replacement trees planted when development has to remove any tree, and especially garry oak and arbutus, among others. Understandably this is expensive. I would rather we find creative ways for mature trees to be left in situ.

5. Colwood’s Urban Forest Bylaw sets out replacement tree costs and fine for contravention far in excess of these. I am not in favour at this time of increasing those fees. (See page 20 and Schedule A of Bylaw #1710)

Please note: I am a candidate for Colwood Council, but not an existing council member, so my opinion is largely that of an observer at this point.

In Colwood, we are extremely fortunate to have the largest urban forest in Greater Victoria within our boundaries, that being the 565 acres known as Royal Roads. It is federal land and is being transferred in part to first nations. I hope that our city can earn a seat at the table to have a say on how this land will be used. I believe that with thoughtful and thorough planning, there is a way to achieve this that would satisfy all parties concerned while preserving the inherent beauty and ecological integrity of the forest.

Our existing wooded city parks are valuable assets and every effort is made to protect the tree canopy in each of them. I would continue to support those efforts.

I would want all new development to have minimal strata fees attached so that buyers have direct stewardship over protecting their common green spaces including trees and plants on neighbourhood boulevards. The stratas would have to follow strict guidelines on maintaining their green space.

We have three large parcels of bare land, formerly open quarries in Colwood. Each is slated for development – residential and commercial/industrial. I would want to see all open areas such as boulevards and frontages are planted with a variety of tree and plant species, with pocket parks or greenways interspersed within each development. To-date this is what is happening.
Colwood recently implemented a strict tree protection bylaw requiring permits, inspection by an arborist and replacement of removed trees either on the same property or on public lands.

I would like to add that part of protecting our trees is reducing the stress on them by improving public transit and getting single driver commuters off our roads. I am a openly supporting and promoting transit improvements to our city and our region. Reducing CO2 emissions is a vital part of the solution. I also intend to pursue more green building such as Leeds and Passive House construction in new development. The average Canadian household contributes up to 40% of GHG emissions and there is much we can do to reduce that to almost net zero energy. Trees alone will not save us.

1. I championed a new Urban Forest Bylaw and sat as Colwood council representative (I have a PhD in forest science) on a task force consisting of foresters, arborists, tree cutting companies and others. The result was Colwood’s new bylaw which received three readings on Sept 24th. The bylaw protects trees, requires replacement trees to be planted where there is removal and provides fines of $1000 or more per tree for removal without a permit.

2. Very high priority. Council has acted and I expect final adoption of the bylaw in October.

3. See answers above. I am encouraging council to work on a strategic plan for our urban forest, especially as we transition from our canopy of large trees like douglas fir and western red cedar to trees more appropriate in urban yards. I am also encouraging study of which species mix should be planted to adapt to the changing climate.

4. With the new bylaw builders will require a permit to remove trees, will be required to plant replacement trees and can be fined when they remove trees without a permit.

5. See answers above. With the new bylaw in place the fine will be “not less than $1000” per tree.

1. Esquimalt has taken several measures to protect and improve our tree canopy. Since 2015 we have had Bylaw 2837 , to provide for the protection of trees located within the Township of Esquimalt. This bylaw sets out the parameters by which a tree may be considered for removal and also what must be done regarding replacement and maintenance of new trees. Depending on the size of the tree to be removed replacement can be up to 3-1 trees. Significant considerations occur to allow the removal of a tree within Esquimalt because we know the value both for us, the land and the air that trees provide.

2. There are other programs occurring to ensure healthy and enriched tree canopy. The township has partnered with the Green Team, Creatively United for the Planet and others, for invasive species clearing , schools for tree planting, and volunteers for maintaining our urban forests. We have a well managed street tree replacement program along with maintenance and watering bags for residents with new trees.

3. The municipality has developed a list of Significant Trees (both on private and public property) within our tree protection bylaw. We have an arborist on staff to work help residents with tree concerns so that removal is not occurring without proper reason, also outlined within the bylaw. The municipality itself has a tree replacement program and we partner with groups like BC Hydro for this program. We have a strong education component to help residents to help us maintain our trees.

4. Within our Official Community Plan and within our development guidelines the municipality is very clear about protection of trees wherever possible. We also have a green development checklist that ensures developers further consider the mature trees be maintained on their property wherever possible. I refer back to the replacement guidelines and requirement of a deposit for both proper installation and maintenance of any new trees, also a list of trees for consideration in replacement.

5. Esquimalt has within its bylaws fines ranging from $250.00 to $10,000.00 depending on the circumstances of the tree removal or cutting and we have a graduated replacement scale of up to 3 trees per single tree removed depending son the size. These are significant considerations for property owners to know about before removing trees.

1: You ask what I will do. If elected to council in Esquimalt I will advocate for an increase in tree planting but as one vote on council it requires a majority to pass. I am an environmentalist and activist but the way city council works is that no one person can do anything because it requires a vote. So keeping that in mind I will do everything I possibly can because the environment is important to me.

2: See the above answer.

3: Again, please review the way that municipal politics works. You can ask my position on something but because I don’t make false promises, I’m not going to say what I will do because I cannot “DO” anything specific. I am 1 vote on council. But I will speak as loudly as I can.

4: That would require the creation of a bylaw and review of the building permit process. I would advocate for doing that.

5: I am strongly in favour of this approach but again, I am 1 vote on council (if elected). However I am a strong Green Party member and would push hard for policies to protect trees.

Thank you. I hope my answers have been sufficient. I would advise rewording the questions for future elections and would be happy to advise on that if you like.

1. I have supported and will continue to support the Township’s Tree Protection Bylaw and the Esquimalt Parks and Recreation Department program of allocating resources to increase the urban forest and the boulevard trees programs. I support the Township’s Branch Out program with its community and ecological approaches together with the educational brochures available. https://www.esquimalt.ca/parks-recreation/parks/branch-out-events-educational-materials All of which help counter negative effects due to climate change.

As a volunteer prior, to any elected position, I was concerned about trees and tree health. I understand on the strength of my concern for trees and their benefits of shade, beauty, cooling properties from breezes, erosion control, and the essential ecological services noted above, that I was identified as a good candidate for the Parks and Recreation Commission, as it was known at that time. I served for six years. Then I ran for public office.

I am also a strong supporter of Earth Day at Highrock Park and planting more garry oak trees; also the green team and other volunteers who have worked at Saxe Point Park and Macaulay Point Park in tackling invasive species like holly, and ivy from trees and soil. The Parks department also maintains safety around weak and fallen trees and removing those which would be a hazard for the public while at the same time allowing nursing trees inside the urban forest which have fallen and not considered hazardous.

And I support watering bags for boulevard trees that are available to residents at no charge for those trees which could otherwise suffer and perhaps die for lack of water.

As an incumbent Councillor, I supported the hire of an arborist for the Township who has lent his expertise in determining and assessing the need of tree removal as well as tree barriers during construction, and in reviewing arborist reports provided by developers.

And finally as a sitting Councillor, I supported, then and now, Council’s Strategic Plan that includes Park enhancements and strategic parkland acquisition expansion.

2. Protection, care, maintenance, and growth of the Township’s urban forest and boulevard trees are a high priority for me. I have acted and, if elected, will continue to act to ensure that trees are included in the Strategic Plan coming forward from the new Council. I will also resist and discourage any notion of decreasing the budget in relation to tree health or reduction in the Township’s tree population during budget discussions for the next fiscal year and beyond.

3. I will ensure there are sufficient funds during next year’s budget discussions for the Parks and Recreation Department to maintain and protect trees in the Township. And I do, and will, support existing tree programs already in place. Council will need to hear from Park staff what the current budget is for tree care and tree planting including staffing as well as what possible costs and impacts might be incurred for additional inventory. Listening to other Township requirements will be necessary in determining a balanced approach towards the final budget.

4. I have noticed that this is already happening at the staff level. In pre-meetings with developers and in Council meetings, I and other Councillors have asked that mature trees be left in place. One of the dilemmas is that mature trees are usually large and have extensive root systems that could be harmed with construction going on around them. Even with arborists managing tree protection with on-site barriers during construction, larger trees and their root systems cannot always be saved due to their size and location in proximity to the planned work. Often trees will be stressed and may take several years before noticeable and irreparable damage has taken place. By then, it could be too late to save the tree.

5. Offences and penalties in contravening the Township’s existing Tree Bylaw with regard to protected trees provides for fines of up to $10,000 per day. https://www.esquimalt.ca/parks-recreation/parks/trees

Thank you for organizing this survey.

1. Through my role in Esquimalt’s governance, I will commit to ensuring our staff and municipal operations are well funded and equipped to study, monitor, preserve and protect our community’s trees.

2. As an issue, stewardship of our environment is an important priority for me and I will act to have all aspects of environmental stewardship, including caring for our trees, to be one of the focuses of Council’s strategic planning for the upcoming term of Council, which typically takes place in the first couple of months of the new Council term.

3. Through my role in Esquimalt’s governance, I will commit to ensuring our staff and municipal operations are well funded and equipped to study, monitor, preserve and protect our community’s trees. I look to our professional staff for advice on best practices for increasing our tree canopy.

4. Builders are required to go through an extensive public process to receive their zoning and permits, including the use of our municipality’s Green Checklist requirement. Through that process, Council’s role is to be good stewards of our existing trees and to require that builders adapt their plans accordingly.

5. Yes, I believe Esquimalt should do whatever is legally permissible for us to do under the Community Charter and Local Government Act.

1. Many people do not realize the many benefits that trees give us, the most important being the oxygen we breath.

I spoke with one the Langford councilors this past Wednesday and he told me that for each tree cut down, two trees must be planted. I hope that is true but will have to see the text of the bylaw or policy

Myself, I would that trees are not cut down in the first place but are incorporated into a development plan. Mature trees take decades and even centuries to grow in the first place.

One of my goals in to improve the livability of the city and that would include increasing the available green space, even if that green space is on the roof of a building.

2. This is important to me but I will have to see what tasks will be on my plate on day one, what tasks are upcoming and then set priorities accordingly.

3. I would like to first research the issue to see what kinds of tree bylaws various municipalities have introduced, what are the bylaws designed to do, what kind of incentives/penalties are in the bylaw and how effective are the various bylaws. I would look at what are the best results from the research and what is applicable for our municipality. I would get input from residents and businesses and hopefully buy-in before introducing such a bylaw to protect trees.

I would like to see if there is some way we can grow trees from seedling to young tree and then give these young trees away. I would have tree planting days in which we can get kids and their family involved.

I worked one summer at a tree farm just outside Lake Cowichan and I worked two summers at a tree farm just outside of Edmonton. Growing trees is much like any plant and maybe we can get the kids and families involved here as well. I certainly know the benefits that trees give us and would love to past on that appreciation to the younger generations.

4. Yes, I would encourage builders to design their building plans around mature trees if at all possible. There are guides that outline the many reasons why it is preferred to save mature trees. Many builders however would prefer a clear slate to start building on. The city needs to show developers what the benefits are for saving trees.

I would speak with developers to get their input on this subject.

5. I would prefer to have buy-in rather than be heavy handed. If a bylaw is created then I would hope that it is easy to comply with the bylaw. I would make sure that such a bylaw is well communicated to residents and businesses so there can be no excuse for not knowing about the bylaw. In this circumstance I would likely have little tolerance for non-compliance.

1.  Oak Bay’s Urban Forest Strategy needs to be expedited and implemented earlier than currently projected. We also need to assess the impacts of tree removal on private property which should form part of the strategy in my view. If elected, I will work for reinstatement of an Environmental Advisory body, (disbanded at the beginning of this Council’s term in 2015), that advises Council on environmental protection and challenges, especially related to tree canopies.

2. A first priority and if elected, I will act as soon as possible by bringing forward a motion to Council to re-establish an Environmental Advisory Commission.

3. If elected, I will work with Council colleagues and parks staff as soon as possible, to learn more about how, when and where we should strengthen protection and ask for a review of the tree bylaw. I will also examine our replacement schedule with parks staff and see where we can make improvements. This work will begin soon after the election if I am elected. (see answer to question 1).

4. If elected, I will work for new standards for developers related to environmental protection and tree protection. This will involved consultation with staff, Council colleagues and the community.

5. There are, to my knowledge, penalties in place but, if elected, I will work with staff and Council to review our penalties to ensure that they are stringent and have a significant impact on those that violate the bylaw.

1. I am a huge advocate for protecting trees on both private and public property. When a building application comes to council and if the applicant is asking to remove trees, I try to find ways that the proposed building could be moved on the site to save as many trees as possible. Now that we have the Urban Forest Management Plan in place, we always have an expectation that we will protect and enhance canopy cover to approach 40% by 2045.

2. This is a high priority for me and I believe we are acting now by implementing the Urban Forest Management Plan. We are now asking new developments to achieve a 40% canopy on their properties.

3. Again, according to the plan, the urban forest vision will be achieved by implementing the Urban Forest Management strategy over a 15 year timeframe. The municipality will plant 1,400 new trees on public land and work with residents and institutions to plant 5,000 new trees on private property.

4. This is tough under our current zoning bylaws, however we often have the opportunity to ask builders to move their building, or we can grant a variance if it means saving a tree. We could also increase the fines dramatically to builders who remove trees without permission. Right now the fines are inconsequential to builders and owners if it means they can have a better view or not have a tree in the way of their building – this has to change.

5. Yes. I have been advocating an increase in the penalties to those who harm or kill trees for many years on council. In some cases our hands are tied by provincial rules and regulations, however where we have been able to enforce penalties, we have done so to the maximum allowable. I will absolutely continue to do this.

Thank you for sending me this questionnaire. My answers to your questions, in order, are as follows:

1. I believe that we need to carefully evaluate new development with an eye toward preserving our tree canopy, to remove trees only when necessary, to plant new trees sufficient to replace those which have been removed, and to support the creation of new green spaces in Oak Bay.

2. Our trees are an essential part of what gives our municipality its natural beauty. Although councillors must balance many different issues and priorities, the preservation of Oak Bay’s natural environment, including trees, must be a major concern for the members of any future council.

3. I am open to increasing funding for tree care and planting. In terms of creative ideas for expanding our tree canopy, I am interested in the possibility of encouraging the construction of rooftop gardens on larger buildings.

4. I believe that we need to foster a culture of protecting our trees in Oak Bay. The impact on trees should always be taken into account when council weighs in on new developments.

5. I believe that our penalties should ideally be sufficient to compensate for the cost of replacing destroyed trees. At the same time, we must be careful not to implement excessively heavy penalties- a $700 penalty, for example, would be a serious, even disastrous financial hardship for some residents.

Thank you for your invitation.  Once I have read this report I would be able to comment.  Canada has a high rating environmentally due to the high proportion of trees overall, air does move and is not static.

1. How rapid is rapid?
2. The acorns do a great job as nature intends.
3. Nature will take its course.
4. Oak Bay already has an arborist in place.
5. Contractors are already doing an excellent job protecting trees, walk around Oak Bay for yourselves and thank them.
6. There are existing penalties for tree removal without a permit, what is the relevance of Mississauga ON, to Oak Bay BC?
7. Having invented, patented and brought to market the “Eco Friendly Radiant Grate” which utilizes Canada’s most readily available, renewable energy source for domestic home heat using open fireplaces, namely firewood, I have been involved in these issues since 1972 and have quite a collection of reports on this subject.

1. Saanich has always been a leader of environmental stewardship. We are lucky that the place we call home has a variety of flora and fauna that offer such biodiversity to the community; we need to ensure it remains protected for generations to come. This will require Saanich to:

• ensure the protection of the Urban Containment Boundary,
• continue to acquire parcels of land to enhance our current parks and trail systems,
• adequately fund the maintenance of these green spaces.

2. My wife and I want our daughter to grow up here, I want to ensure that Saanich continues to be a vibrant and sustainable community for future generations. If elected, I plan to start working with community groups, staff and the public at large within months of taking office.

3. Ensure the protection of the Urban Containment Boundary, adequately fund the maintenance of our green spaces. The budgeting meetings are scheduled for early spring, so I would work with staff to find out the amount of funding is needed and we can work to find ways to ensure that these protections have adequate funding. As for increasing funding, I am certainly open to entertaining any ideas out there, see if there is any funding dollars from the province or federal governments maybe even on a matching dollar for dollar program.

4. I would to more than encourage, I want to updates our local area plans and where there are mature trees, I want to see built in protections.

5. Wow $40 is hardly a deterrent. I want Saanich to have some of the strongest protections not just in the CRD but in the country and I am dedicated to working towards a sustainable and healthy environment for our future!

Well if you watched the last, All Candidates meeting in Cadboro Bay, you would of heard that I would like to personally put a moratorium on all tree cutting in Saanich. “I never want to see a tree cut down in Saanich during nesting time and in fact I won’t at this time go as far as to say the words moratorium but I want to”. I started my journey as an environmentalist as a treeplanter and planted in some of the largest cut blocks in BC. Later my first priority as an activist (this was a very memorable time and have lots of stories) was to stop clear cut logging and forestry my first classes at RNS at UVIC with Dr. Phil Burton.
Here is a poem I wrote as a 21 year old treeplanter:
Mother nature and I are one,
bonded by the morning sun,
together we walk down green roads
turn the corner and our hearts explode
no vegetation can be seen
the land left in such a horrifying scene
this is where our paths depart, as it is here my journey starts
out of my bags I pull my shovel
making an effort to fill puzzle
I am blessed by the mother.

As a restoration ecologist-student of Ethnoecology and Ethnobotany. (UVIC Dr. Nancy Turner a long term and beloved teacher of mine and the Freeman of Saanch has made an endorsement video for me).
I have planted thousand of trees in Saanich, usually hundreds every year.
-Collect hundreds of Garry Oak acorns a year.
-my love of the Garry Oak trees started with a path that led to a Garry Oak tree with the old rusty ladder already installed.
-have been involved in watershed restoration of Colquitz, Hagan, Swan Creek, Cumberlands, etc. etc.
-planted my first trees in Saanich as a 10 year old girl after winning a raffle at the Elk Lake Garden Centre.
-the Endemic rainforest biodiversity-the extent of the Garry Oak tree has been my study area for the last 35 years.
-Co authored the book Saving Farmland -raised almost $3m in conservation and habitat in Saanich

Our Tree Canopy in Saanich is a treasure
-I do not agree with the cut down one tree plant 3. under the ground cutting a tree whose roots under the ground are silently engaged in integrated relationships and mineral sharing synergistic relationships: communities removing. Breaking up these communities-can result in the ecologically standing dead.
We have 450 native bees in BC, 35-40 species of bumble bees and 70% of those bees nest underground, while 30% nest in trees, stumps and snags.
-as quickly as possible recoup funds, community investments into the EDPA -and restore environmental protection around our world class endemic biodiversity.
-as a former TLC employee, working as an agricultural program coordinator in an exemplar program- I believe that through tax incentive programs and ecological gift programs we can encourage stewardship from owners and developers.

We must be Stewards not speculators.
I found out the hard way that even if a tree is protected if the land is purchased all trees in the building envelope can be cut down. This is how what I consider to a huge blow to biodiversity when on 1516 Mt Doug crossroads had 2 logging trucks of Garry Oaks leave it on Nov . 16. 2016. After taken out of the ALR. My husband and I witnessed this.There is also a google link that shows the tree cover since 80’s to now. It is mind boggling.
Been active on this file for a long time,.
Saanich’s EDPA and treebylaws, governance (fines, review of business licences) , ecosystems monitoring (including hiring more bylaw officers) are a priority for me.
We need to install the exemplar program that recognize owners who are doing fabulous jobs stewarding their properties. Tax incentives, assistance in restoration (uvic, expanding the Environmental Services dpt.;)
We need to get protection around Saanich’s trees and special areas-since the EDPA bylaw was rescinded there is insufficient and outdated protection in new developments.
I am a huge fan of Saanich’s Environmental Services Department and those who work there, they have long inspired me and will be looking to them for fastest, most logical, beneficial and cost effective way to go forward.

In the Spirit of Saanich
“lets sequester together”

1. Saanich adopted an urban Forest strategy which covers all trees and their ecosystems in both public and private properties.
The urban forest is under threat from development within the UCB, tree removal on agriculture land, invasives, climate change and severe pruning by agencies such as Hydro.
Protection comes from adherence to tree protection Bylaw, planting more trees, removing invasives, and providing more public education.

2. High….immediately… Council has funded and will receive options on developing a Saanich program of climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, stewardship and and improved EDPA.

3. Implement the recommendations from the strategy stated above and support CRD through its environmental programs to establish regionwide goals.

4. There should be good communication with developers and their arborists to develop a
building footprint that will preserve trees without limiting the ability to build to a permitted size.

5. I would welcome a comparative analysis of fines levied by other municipalities across the region and in other parts of the country.

Hi,

Thanks for these questions.

First our “green” infrastructure like trees are very important to me. I keep pushing that as we do our Asset Mgmt Plan we must include our green infrastructure.

It was unfortunate that by one vote the Environmental Development Permit was eliminated. The DP had the greatest opportunity to protect more trees that wd be in building envelopes or service corridors by working with developers to create different layouts. This has weakened our protection . The good news is we have $250,000 assigned to build something else.

Below are links to our Tree Protection Bylaw and our Urban Canopy Strategy.

I will be suggesting we capture in our Strategic Plan a performance measure on tree loss and tree replacement.

Saanich has a Heritage Tree Registry for significant trees. We provide plaques and money towards proper pruning.

We require different replacement numbers depending. We have significant fines.

We have had any Annual Tree planting day for over 15 years.

With the loss of the EDPA I will be asking staff what we can do to strengthen tree Bylaw.

Hope this helps.

http://www.saanich.ca/assets/Local~Government/Documents/Bylaws~and~Policies/tree-protection-bylaw-2014-no-9272.pdf

http://www.saanich.ca/assets/Community/Documents/Urban-Forest-Strategy.pdf

1. I believe this is a very important issue. Saanich currently has a tree bylaw that some people have obeyed. I think we need to enforce this bylaw to ensure we protect the existing tree canopy. I think we also have an opportunity to create a “planting together” program. There are plenty of areas in Saanich where we can begin planting trees so we can mitigate the amount canopy loss that we are experiencing.

2. This is definitely a priority. With the need for infill and density to accommodate the lack of housing in our municipality, it is important we start right away and be as proactive as we can.

3. I think its important to begin a “planting together” program in order to address this issue. Funding a program to identify the areas where we can plant native trees and rebuild our natural ecosystems is extremely important. The municipality can work with community associations and groups such as Peninsula Streams to accomplish this.

4. I think the municipality does try to encourage builders to do this, but we can do better. Community Associations can also help to educate builders and property owners. For example, explaining that we only have 5% of the Garry Oak ecosystem left will help to illustrate the concern. Many people do not know this. I believe we can create a financial incentive to protect the trees as well. Sometimes the carrot works better than the stick.

5. Saanich currently has financial penalties for cutting down or damaging protected and significant tress. I am not aware of how many fines have been issued, but I think it is important that we maintain these existing fines and enforce them.

1. Saanich’s Urban Forest Strategy needs to be revised to include, among other things, quantifiable targets for fruit and nut-bearing trees. Community orchards should also be considered for inclusion in existing landscaped parks. By working with local businesses and organizations (such as LifeCycles) we can ensure that the harvest from these trees are fully utilized within the community.

At an even more basic level, Saanich maintains a 2:1 tree replacement policy for developments. This needs to be consistently monitored and enforced.

2. Public trees are incredibly important for well being. Numerous studies have demonstrated that front yard and boulevard trees significantly and positively impact well-being and health. Protecting and enhancing the urban canopy in Saanich is very important.

3. One of the concerns I’ve come across while speaking with folks on the doorstep over the past 5 months, is not only a question of planting trees, but also of maintaining and ensuring the health of our existing and newly planted trees. Key here is communication, ensuring that residents can easily report damaged, sick or otherwise vulnerable trees to the District, to ensure that they receive the maintenance they require. I would be open to developing programs that ensure that this communications is easy (some cities have given each tree a unique code and had people tweet at the tree if it needed help).

4. Saanich maintains a 2:1 tree replacement policy for developments. This needs to be consistently monitored and enforced.

5. I have worked in marine conservation for many years and in particular efforts to combat illegal fishing (fish crime). One of the largest frustrations I’ve encountered while attempted to combat fish crime is the issue of fines being too low such that the do not provide a deterrent effect and rather get included as part of the cost of doing business. This results on ongoing illegal activity which damages delicate ecosystems. I believe that fines should always be sufficiently high so as to serve as a deterrent as well as to recover sufficient funds to repair the damage done.

Thank you for reaching out with these questions.

1. As the mover of the motion to respond to the elimination of the EDPA calling on Saanich to establish a Biodiversity Strategy and Stewardship program I wholeheartedly support Saanich doing as much as possible to protect our existing canopy as quickly as possible.

2. As per above, I saw this as a significant need and I believe Saanich needs to make it one of our highest priorities in the next term. I have already acted on this and if re-elected will ensure this strategy is completed.

3. I am willing to support more stronger language in our tree protection bylaw. I cannot commit AT THIS MOMENT to an increase in the budget for tree care and tree planting without considering all of the budgetary requests Saanich will have this upcoming year. I believe Saanich should work with schools and local groups to plant a tree a day every day. We should provide native trees to residents for free. We should provide a tax incentive to those who plant native trees.

4. We will work with builders as much as possible requiring them to design structures around mature trees seeing their value and hopefully see them add trees to enhance development. Mature trees deserve special consideration.

5. In my opinion the bylaw penalties are not high enough to provide a serious deterrent to those who harm or kill trees. I would support a significant increases in fines amounts in our bylaws.

1. I feel we must incentivize the increased planting of backyard and community garden to help increase food self sufficiency. But also we need to increase our trees on our boulevards when we redevelop them.  When development do occur, there should be higher requirements for replacement of trees.  And also we need better protection of  our endangered trees such as Gary Oaks.

2. Preserving our canopy is a high priority and I think we should look at our bylaws pertaining to this.

3. Protection of trees particularly in our 171 parks involves regular arborist care and I recommend at least a yearly inspection to identify diseased trees and some type of a replacement plan for them. We need a strategic plan to look at various ways we can  improve our canopy and also find ways to get funds to do .  Using special tree planting days could get younger people involved in the process as they are building the future of Saanich, a greener future.

 4. Builders can be encouraged by designing the foot print of their building around mature trees. I know a developer on my street who was turned down because of a gorgeous stand  of Gary Oaks exists behind my house.

 5. Yes, some consider removal of trees to improve property sight lines the cost of doing business and that is very wrong. I definitely support raising the fines considerably for destruction of trees in Saanich. The current replacement fee charge is ridiculously low.

Thank you so much for getting in touch with me, I have provided my answers below:

1. As a passionate environmentalist I believe it’s crucial that we protect our trees, parks and natural environment for both current and future generations. If elected, I will do everything I can to ensure our trees are protected, and that new trees are planted throughout Saanich and the entire Greater Victoria region.

2. This is one of my top priorities. I will start working immediately to ensure our natural environment is protected. I’m also committed to enacting on a number of environmental initiatives which are listed in my Platform, here: https://www.votened.org/environmental-stewardship

3. I believe we need to work with developers and staff to ensure that tress are protected, and that new trees are planted. We don’t want to be stripping away our natural environment to create new developments, instead we need to work with developers to ensure existing trees and natural areas are protected and enhanced, and that additional trees and natural environment is planted around new developments.

4. I will take a collaborative, visionary approach and work with staff and developers to take the steps necessary to ensure that our trees, and especially mature trees, are protected.

5. I support appropriate fines for people who break bylaws relating to our natural environment.

I am a huge fan of Jennie Moore, I followed her work closely while in University. We need to move Saanich towards a one planet city.

1. We need a better urban forestry management a 1 tree =/= 1 tree if the one going down is 100 years old and the one going in is 3 years old. I want to ensure that the number of mature trees is rising in Saanich. So that when some inevitably have to come down it doesn’t deteriorate our canopy.

2. This is a big priority for me, I’d like to act as soon as possible within the first year.

3. I will work quickly with the administration to protect municipal trees by putting into place a better urban forest management policy. I think a creative solution that could actually make money and plant trees is as follows: people around the world pay to offset their carbon from trips and other activities, let’s start a program where people pay Saanich to offset their carbon by planting trees. This would solve financial/budget issues and help us grow our urban canopy at the same time while offsetting carbon.

4. Incentivize it through policy. If they take down a mature tree they will need to contribute a lot more to the next stock long term.

5. I support a bylaw of the sort as long as the bylaw does not impact kids who climb trees as I think trees also give life to kids in this way.

Thank you for reaching out.

I have always considered our tree canopy to be an important asset to our community.  In the Gorge Tillicum community, we have planted over 400 trees over the past few years.  Some that were planted 15 years ago are really starting to redefine the streets.  So it is not a case about how soon I would act, but that as leader in the GTCA, I have been acting for over 20 years.

I think protecting trees in Saanich is a high priority and will do what ever I can to enhance our ability to improve on what we do now.

Yes, I would encourage developments to keep trees in place.  If this is not possible, then I would look for at least 2 for 1 replacement.

It is clear the penalty is not enough to discourage those that harm trees and I would be happy to support a council resolution to increase this penalty.

Thank you for taking the time to ask these important questions.

Thank you for reaching out to me and the other candidates.
I too am concerned about the human footprint on the earth.

1. As a potential Councillor, my decisions will be a group decision of the entire council,
Having said that I do believe it is essential that we need to protect our trees and I am dismayed at the amount of raw lumber being cut around Port Renfrew and I would very much like for Sooke council to apply pressure on our provincial Government to try to slow this down.
As well, replanting new trees into areas that have already been cut should be something that happens right away .
There are a few of us in Sooke that are working toward creating a bylaw to protect trees in our area, apparently right now there is no such bylaw and one can cut all they want .
I would certainly work toward this initiative if elected to Sooke council.

2. Sooke is currently and will be continuing working on our new OCP official community plan with the incoming council and this is my top priority . I think a tree protection bylaw should be written right into the new OCP .

3. I noticed recently in a bylaw amendment package that there is an initiative to force developers to plant new trees and they are effectively fined for not planting new trees .
I think this idea could be expanded on and concessions made to developers for preserving old trees on lots or preserving old trees in lieu of planting new trees .

4. Stated above . I believe the new council should reward developers that do the things we want
by following our new OCP and make it harder and more expensive for developers that do not follow our new OCP . Effectively cherry pick the developments we want .

5. Yes , developers that destroy trees should feel the pain of penalties and developers that work within our OCP will not feel the sting . Obviously to build on a lot some trees and geography may need to be cleared or moved but I hope this can be minimized .

Thank you for your questions. I am a bit disappointed that they are not specific to Sooke’s current situation. It’s very difficult to answer some of these questions as we are only 19 years old and have very limited parks resources.

While I deeply recognize the need for tree bylaws and fines in our rapidly growing community, it is also important to note that I have sat on the wrong side of a very conservative council during my first term.

Motioning for any bylaw relating to environmental protection would likely be ignored by the majority of council, especially if it were related to restrictions placed on local developers.

I dream that Sooke will one day protect and identify opportunities for trees, but I feel we are actually moving backwards, away from this. This upcoming election will be critical.

In response to your email, I would ask that, regardless of whether or not I am re-elected, the Trees Matter Network make a delegation to the new Council. Make suggestions on what bylaws, fines, and incentives we can start with – – baby steps. If we can get some strong, effective, and fair bylaws in immediately, it will help us grow smart and increase the health of our community.

Thank you!!

1. I would bring forward the Motion once again to the Council table to incorporate a Municipal Tree Bylaw which would also include looking after Heritage Trees. All new Developments would have to include planting of trees in their applications to the District. Continue to implement the Memorial Tree Program. Incorporate a new section in our OCP on the benefits of trees.

2. This is a high priority for me, I will act upon this once re-elected.

3. By enacting an all encompassing Tree Bylaw and bringing the Bylaw request forward at one of the first Council meetings. By including a Policy for Developers to provide a fee for trees.

4. By including a provision within the Tree Bylaw that would prevent their removal and/or financial compensation/or replanting a select number of trees.

5. I would bring forward a motion for staff to give alternatives for tree replacement due to trees being damaged or destroyed.

Thank you for your work on this important matter.

1+2. As a permaculturist, farmer and planner I am running specifically so that we use a longer term vision to community health.Trees, protecting productive farmland and living within our ecological footprint are all priorities. I believe the key to be a strong local economy owned by local people who care about the community. If we ourselves are not rooted at all levels with our community then we can indulge in the fantasy of not living within our means. This is not good stewardship or good business and it does not make for a better more liveable community. I will promote trees as one of the cheapest ways to avoid greater costs. This needs to be in the OCP.

3. I specifically want to look at planting many trees along major road for traffic calming and the many other benefits trees bring us. I hope to investigate having municipal forests possibly created from areas that have presently been clear cut. This would expand our resource base and put the stewardship directly in our hands while repairing damaged areas. Some municipalities also offer free trees to homeowners and I would certainly be open to any creative solutions that promotes a healthier and more beautiful community and environment.

4. I believe the OCP already encourages builders to leave mature trees in place but would be glad to see better results.

5. Penalties are only useful if people complain and if we have the staff to enforce them which is not generally the case in Sooke.

Thank you for taking the time to include me in this questionnaire and please feel to contact me anytime in future, as I will do when Mayor to seek your input and guidance – to be honest, I had to look more closely at this issue so I would hope to have this organization as a resource. As to your questions, forgive me if I don’t answer them in order, but here goes:

Thank you for the opportunity to let you know of my commitments, I am pro business, pro green space and pro accessibility.

1. I will do whatever I can to protect the current trees. The people at city hall seem to think it is ok if they destroy a tree and replace it will new trees. I am not of the same thought.

2. Well, I need to get elected first. I am supportive of the actions of people that have taken this on. I am learning that there are a lot of people who are passionate about many things and if I took them all on as projects to follow through on I will not be able do any of them well. I will leave it up to the professionals. If there is something you would like me to bring to Council you will get my full support, I am happy to do that. I will need a team of people on Council with me who also think the way I do in order to get these ideas supported. All decisions have an impact and I will choose the planets health over money.
Here’s the thing though, there has been a lot of money spent on different projects and the city needs revenue.

3. Like I said, I will need to get elected first. Mapping what trees we have with LIDAR technology and increasing our tree canopy from 18 – 20 %. Picking trees that are natural to our climate and will have a good chance at survival. Something is affecting our cedar trees and until that is figured out we probably shouldn’t plant those.

We need revenue at the City of Victoria. Until we get spending under control I am not sure there is a lot in the budget for this but I will work to reduce wasteful spending as I believe the trees and the flower gardens are 2 things that set our city apart.

There are a lot of creative ideas that are already available to us. I don’t know that I can think of anything special. I’d talk to tree specialists to find out what the best way to keep our present trees healthy are and to add the right trees for region.

4. If they can do it in Langford and Colwood I know we can do it here. Developments can work around mature trees. Staff at City Hall think that they can just be replaced with other new trees. I would rather find a way to keep the mature trees. I will make it clear that developers will get a better chance at having my support if they are making efforts to keep mature trees and have been in communication with their neighbours.

5. I know that this is an issue but if it can be proven that someone purposely damaged a protected tree just to get their development through there should be a significant fine. These little fines will not change anyones behaviour and and may just be considered the cost of doing business.

Thank you for caring about Municipal politics and bringing these issues to my attention. I am getting quite the list of issues that I will be supporting at the Council Table.

I recommend getting at least 4 and possibly 5 people that will support your ideas at that table. Many people will say they will do it. But the tongue in your mouth lies all the time, the tongue in your shoes never lies. Watch what people do and not what they say.

Looking forward to earning your confidence on Council.

Thanks for putting these questions together and providing me with the opportunity to answer them for you and your community.

1. I support the care and maintenance of our Big Canopy trees. I think the City does a good job of caring for the trees. Continuing to support the program with funding and direction is the best path forward.

2. I’m more interested in setting up a Partnership Program linking Renters with Public Investment Funds as an Investment for Ownership Housing benefiting both the New Home Owners and the City. This program should become an engine for housing in the Region and be a great opportunity to bridge the growing divide in our society. I’ll strive to get this started right away. We could plant Canopy trees in the rear corners of the new accommodations purchased and renovated to suit.

3. The City has rules for protecting trees. The City plants many trees every year. I’m sure they will continue to do so. I will support allocating Public budget funds to enhancing tree planting and maintenance programs if the situation deems it necessary & other issues aren’t already absorbing the discretionary funds.

4. The City can offer incentives to Builders to encourage them to keep the trees on the property they are developing.

5. Damaging Street trees is an offence worthy of a steeper fine than $40, I would support raising the level of this fine.

Many of Victoria’s trees are nearing life-end. The removal of these trees by the City is usually followed by a replanting. To minimise the spread of disease and to strengthen out tree canopy, several tree species are being used as replacement trees.

The need for our tree canopy is important to me. Several years ago, as the city began work on its Urban Forest Master Plan, I served as an alternate to the advisory committee. I was most impressed with the knowledge and commitment of those around the table and continue to support the City of Victoria’s Urban Forest initiatives.

Sadly, an unintended companion to smaller footprint living, the creation of multi-family dwellings, is a significant loss of greenspace and trees as concrete/hard-surface areas have been consumed by housing developments.

I, and others in my neighbourhood, forwarded the need for tree plantings on properties when redevelopment occurred. Unfortunately, the last few years has seen larger footprint residential structures take-over large residential lots and parking lots with minimal consideration for the urban forest. Sustaining and/or growing the urban forest seems to have been more of an afterthought with some developments, while the City’s focus has been on City owned lands (parks and boulevards).

In recent years, I have encouraged and worked with a group to plant fruit trees in common areas in my neighbourhood. We have planted 10 trees in the past year.

If elected, I will support the City’s current “tree replacement” program. I would prefer real cost replacement of trees over penalties as funding can sometimes be absorbed into a budget rather than dedicated to its original purpose. Replacement costs are more than the purchase of a tree, they should include the planting costs and nurturing of the tree for its first year or two.

As an ecological necessity and as a community amenity, the City has suggested an average tree value of $2,000 per tree. Any penalty for the damage or destruction of a street tree should be in-line with the actual replacement cost of a tree, which would undoubtedly be much higher than the $40 you suggest.

1. I believe preserving and enlarging the tree canopy in support of both sustainability and beautification goals is paramount. As mayor, I will ensure that the City of Victoria’s Urban Forest Master Plan is a priority so that the policies and goals identified are being implemented. For example, ensuring that the vigorous tree replacement program is being enforced.

2. I believe improving and preserving the urban tree canopy should be part of every municipalities top priorities. I will immediately ask for a review on how the current City of Victoria’s Urban Forest Master Plan has been implemented to date. I wish to review and enhance the current Urban Forest Master Plan as it was created in 2013 and I believe that we need to improve upon the goals and look to other jurisdictions and develop/adopt their best practices.

3. I will ensure that the City will continue to invest in, protect and maintain our urban forest. I would like to review the current bylaws, and most importantly consult with our community stakeholders, partners, residents, etc as I understand such consultation was conducted in 2009, and I believe there must be many new creative ideas to be shared. In terms of increasing the tree budget, I would have to look at the current budget and review what efforts have been made to date and identify where monies could be best placed and increased.

4. Education and awareness are key in encouraging the protection and preservation of our trees. Many builders, for example, may not realize how large an impact that trees can have on energy consumption for both cooling and heating buildings. I want to ensure that a landscape ordinance is in place that requires tree planting, and the preservation of mature trees, on multi-family residential and commercial properties.

5. Yes I will introduce a stricter penalty. The current penalty is not effective. The City of Victoria charges a mere $30 fee for the removal or altering of protected trees – that is for the first tree – additional trees are $5 each. The low penalty actually deters people from obtaining a $30 permit.

Thanks for your questions. Trees kick ass and I’m happy to represent them in this election. After I get elected we can go for coffee and make a list of the things we’d like to start tackling. The answers to your questions:

1. Everything I can. I’ll ask you for advice and try to convince my fellow councilors to follow.

2. Trees are part of my campaign. As soon as I can.

3. I’ll ask you guys for input. I’ll have a lot to learn about how much power I will have, but trees are my buds so I’ll be here for them!

4. By making is super expensive and inconvenient to remove them.

5. Yup.

Thanks for being the defenders of the trees. Hope I can be part of the team!

1. I answer your question in the context of living in an area of natural Garry Oak meadows which have low summer water requirements.

Thinking about places where trees have been removed and are now absent makes me sad. I think most people respond the same way. Think of the mayor’s tent-city where 11 trees were removed due to damage from the occupation. Think of the concrete space on Humboldt by the Aria or along Fort Street where the mayor allowed tree removal without replacement. And there seems to be ongoing removal of cherry trees. Compare the feelings you get when you are among the many varieties of trees at St. Ann’s, or in Beacon Hill Park. Your reasons to protect and increase our tree canopy are great, but in the end, people need trees in a more visceral way. This is what we need to appeal to. We need people who want to live in Fairfield (for instance) because it is so green, to stop building with minimal landscaping and no trees. Otherwise, they will no longer live in a green Fairfield. The people of Victoria must understand the benefit of trees and help us work to protect them.

As mayor, I will protect trees and plant new trees. Sure, there are action plans, and master plans and community plans etc etc. But ultimately, we just need to protect trees and allow our parks department to get on with keeping our canopy intact and growing it where possible.

In addition to normal city planting and 2 for 1 replacement, I would immediately get our parks department to set up a program for adding sponsored memorial trees to our public spaces. We need to expand beyond benches. This would include the tree planting and a memorial plaque or similar.

2. What is your plan? Do you have a program mapped out? How can I help? How much will it cost? How does it fit in with other city priorities? Have you presented it to our parks department? Or am I just supposed to know how soon I can act and what to do without having access to all the information I need to make those decisions.

Don’t get me wrong, adding trees would be very important to me. But so are many other things and they all cost money. Council will make the decisions. You have my support, but I need to be in the job with access to Parks Department resources to best determine how to specifically proceed.

3. I like the idea for sponsored memorial trees as mentioned above and electing a new mayor means at least one new tree in the Mayor’s Grove at Beacon Hill Park :).

With over 33,000 City-owned trees and over 100 parks, I suspect the Parks Department will have many more ideas about protecting trees and increasing tree canopy cover than I will come up with in the context of this survey. But giving the Parks Department direction to increase canopy cover should be enough to see these ideas put into action. It is my experience that people who work in these jobs love what they do, and love trees. These are the people who should be answering your question. I will just endeavour to provide the funding. Funding in this area is much more important to Victorians than some of the projects that have been funded in the past four years. I intend to listen to all the people of Victoria, for a change.

4. This can be a challenge when looking at densifying neighbourhoods with a variety of housing styles. The City planners would challenge the builder to keep existing trees, if possible, or plant 2 for 1 suitable replacement trees as part of the landscaping. I am particularly eager to preserve indigenous trees, most particularly Garry Oak, Arbutus, Pacific Dogwood and Pacific Yew should not be removed. We cannot lose our remaining Garry Oak meadows.

5. This is an interesting question as the most recent mass killing of trees through overt actions was the result of the tent city on the court house lawn 2015-2016. Who would we penalize?

There is a Tree Preservation Bylaw. I would support strengthening penalties to the point of ensuring compliance. I currently do not know what that level is, but I would prefer not having to use Bylaws, but rather to use moral persuasion and education to get people to respect and cherish trees so that the thought of removing one is as upsetting to them as it is to me.

1.  I will ensure that an Urban Forest Action Plan is written and implemented. I’m not sure why this has not happened to date as it was a key item to be completed coming out of the Urban Forest Masterplan.

2. This is a big priority for me. Here are my platform commitments; I will start right away.

• Year one: Continue to implement the City of Victoria Urban Forest Masterplan by creating an Urban Forest Action Plan (see recommend Action B in UFMP)
• Years two to four: Increase the City’s tree canopy by planting more trees everywhere. Draw on the City of Toronto and other inspiring initiatives to engage the public to help plant and maintain trees in public spaces. The City of Victoria has 33,000 trees in public space. In 2017 the City planted 328 new trees, removed 150 trees and inspected 760 trees. New trees have a 95% survival rate; they are a great investment as the climate continues to change.

3. Please see above. One of the ideas I would like to implement is to build on the City’s annual tree planting day where we choose one street and work with the neighbours to plant trees and to create an annual tree planting festival! Victorians love festivals and we love trees. I bet in one day alone working together we could plant over 1000 trees. I look forward to making this happen.

4. In some cases we can ask builders to adjust the location of the building to leave mature trees in place. This is very challenging in an urban infill setting where affordability is a key issue.

5. I don’t know what our penalties for this are in the City of Victoria but it does sound like they are low compared, for example, to Mississauga. I will look into this.

1.
-Strengthen the City of Victoria Tree Preservation Bylaw
-Substantially increase funding in the 2019 Financial Plan for tree planting on municipal land (boulevards, parks, other greenspace)
-Strengthen and implement the Urban Forest Master Plan

2. A high priority. If you look into my voting record, you will see that I am the strongest advocate for tree protection and protection / restoration of natural areas on City Council. I will act as soon as the City gets into budgeting and strategic planning after the election.

3. I act to protect trees in the City of Victoria on a frequent basis, including voting against land use applications that propose the removal of Garry Oaks and other tree species, and advocating for improvements to the municipal parks and greenspace system. I would propose increasing the budget for tree care and planting by $100,000 in 2019, with consideration given to further increases in future years following a review of the Urban Forest Master Plan.

4. I will encourage builders to leave mature trees in place by pushing back against land use applications that propose to remove mature trees.

5. Yes, I support amendments to the City of Victoria Tree Preservation Bylaw to increase penalties for harming or killing trees.

1. I would like to propose that all developers who use an area to build their project to have the same size area be set as tree and plant area. So, they take one and they put one back. This way our soil is still being recharged and not creating a drought for us in the future. It is great that we are protecting our Arbutus and Gary Oak trees. I want my future generation to enjoy the colorful beauty of the Arbutus tree and the ugly and scary look of the Gary Oak tree. So, I would encourage residents to plant indigenous trees only with municipal incentives. And, I would heavy penalize residents who plant non-native trees.

2. I see this as a top priority. I would like to act on it right away. But, I do not know who will support or oppose me. I do know that I need support.

3. My proposal is to have the developers plant trees. I know they will pass the buck to us eventually, but the onus is on them. So, I would encourage residents to plant native trees in their yard and heavily penalize to if they plant an invasive species of trees. And reward them if the plant an indigenous tree.

4. I know that it is very difficult for builders to do their project if there are trees in their intended site. This is why I propose to have a similar size area for tree planting. In this way, they will transplant the mature tree. It will be more costly for the builder to do it this way than to just cut it down. If the builder does not want to take responsibility for our environment and he just wants to destroy it, then he does not have the right to build his ideas in our community and be part of us. We are being asked to care and protect our environment. If he wants to be with us then he needs to share our interests and survival. It does not make sense to build beautiful pyramids in Victoria if Victoria will turn into a desert like Giza years from now.

5. I was thinking of around $1,000.00 for first time offenders and $5,000.00 for second time and $10,000.00 for third. Our Arbutus and Gary Oak trees are tourists attraction and are not easily reproduce. Thereby their value is very high.

1. I have a comprehensive plan that includes offering the free rent of a gardener tent-cities to base a massive permaculture makeover of the municipality.

2. It is most important to me. Within the first two weeks I’ll have a number of drafts ready.

3. Imaginie 10,000 gardeners and crafts people who want to save the world and don’t want to pay rent who’ve access to all parks gear.

4. I am adverse to new development.

5. I think it would be more apt to make it a percentage of taxable income and/or community service.

Cheers for your effort.

1. The city has staff engaged in tree management and maintenance currently. I do believe what has Not happened is appropriate planning where roadway trees have been removed. The second part of how I would consider managing the pressure on our green city is as follows, insure effective communication between transportation and environmental services, capital projects and environmental services, planning and zoning and environmental services. The failure of proper governance at city hall has lead to a desire to develop without taking a strong position on why Viois an attractive place and it is its symbiotic existence with its surroundings as a city.

2. The issue of overall governance is a very important issue and should be addressed within the first quarter of the new council’s term in 2019. This will include how the before mentioned communication silos exist.

3. The plan to maintain and add trees are part of the current cities policy. This can be enhanced and should be as we have city projects planned but with limited additional green considerations. The additional consideration should include type of trees and insure that Evergreen types are considered.

4. Developers which includes the city as it develops capital projects must consider topography and tree scapes. In part to answer number 3 the ideas to increase our tree population can occur here. There can be tree requirements in the design stage which would include a green terrace approach within and on structures built. Approval of any development must pass the test of council and its land use and zoning bylaws this is where we must place the burden of public understanding to our tree scapes in.

5. I would support an increase and stepped approach to the bylaws protecting trees that could include the true appraised value of a tree taken down in contrary to the bylaws.

1. There are three primary ways in which we can be taking action to protect existing canopy and to cultivate more canopy coverage for the future; planting incentives, removal penalties, and fostering community buy-in are all essential to protecting our trees. Planting incentives are a powerful tool for increasing the number of trees in a city, particularly when paired with other strategies such as community planting events and requirements placed on developers to include trees in landscaping and on sidewalks. Trees selected for planting should be appropriate for the location to ensure survival and continued flourishing. In addition to incentivizing tree plantings, policies can be put into place to penalize developers who remove trees and green spaces, especially when these features are not replaced elsewhere as part of the development.

2. Preservation, cultivation, and creation of green spaces is a priority for me. While treed areas are of course included in this green space vision, I also think we should capitalize on other spaces as well such as sidewalks and street corners to increase the quantity and quality of trees in even our most urbanized areas.

3. Putting penalties in place to disincentivize removal and destruction of trees is essential, as is ensuring that new developments include green spaces and treed areas. I aim to preserve as many trees as possible when it comes to approving new developments.

4. I will advocate for penalties for removing or damaging trees. These penalties would take the form of steep fines as well as replacement requirements for any removed or damaged trees.

5. Yes, I will introduce and enforce harsher penalties for the removal and destruction of trees. I think this is a appropriate and necessary measure.

1. Trees make our community more beautiful, healthy and comfortable. In my role on city council I will protect and enhance our urban canopy by putting a climate lens on new plantings (ensuring they are likely to survive in the long term), by supporting new developments that include tree cover, and by considering the impact on trees when new infrastructure is built.

2. My number one priority is making Victoria a more affordable, liveable community for local families. Having comfortable and healthy neighbourhoods is an important part of that, and I will be taking every opportunity to advance those values.

3. I will look at whether there needs to be increased penalties for those who damage or kill municipal trees, and consider whether those additional funds can be put towards protecting and enhancing the urban canopy, including tree care and planting. I’ll also consider how trees can be incorporated as part of new infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.

4. Every tree that is mature today was once a sapling. While it is important to protect mature trees, it is equally important to ensure we are renewing our urban canopy for the future. We know that trees are important to temperature regulation in homes especially in the sunny summer months. I will encourage developers to see both mature and new trees as a key part of the comfort, affordability and desirability of new developments.

5. It can be expensive to replace a tree once it has been damaged or killed. I will look at whether increased penalties will both discourage people from interfering with our valuable urban canopy and help with enhancing and expanding it.

Thank you for your email and for your work to protect and expand our community’s tree canopy.

1. I support strengthening the City of Victoria Tree Preservation Bylaw to protect established trees and existing tree canopy. I would like to see the Urban Forest Master Plan enhanced and implemented. I will also push for the creation of a Parks Acquisition Fund to ensure that every neighbourhood is served by parks and green spaces.

2. This is a high priority. I will work to get these actions into the City’s strategic plan immediately following the election. I have consistently advocated for tree protection both in the City through the protection of natural areas and more broadly in opposition to the logging of old growth forests.

3. I will support an increased budget for implementation of the Urban Forest Master Plan including increased funding for tree care and tree planting in the 2019 budget.

4. I will place weight on the preservation of mature trees, particularly Garry Oaks, when making landuse decisions.

5. I would support amendments to the Tree Preservation Bylaw to increase penalties for harming or killing mature trees. I think this may be a necessary step to help protect our mature tree canopy.

Thank you very much for forwarding your questionnaire. I am happy to respond to your questions.

1. We lose many trees to the development of private property. We do have a Tree Protection By-Law but it is quite weak. For example, trees on private property that is to be developed, are only protected if they are not within the footprint of the proposed building or an accessory building or a driveway. This does not create much of an opportunity to preserve trees on the site. There are often times when trees could be retained if the proposed structures or paving was relocated. Unfortunately, for the proponent, this would require applying for a variance which is seen as complicating the application process. I have advocated for a staff-led process where tree retention would be seen as a priority and that applicant would be supported in making this request via a less cumbersome process.

2. I have consistently made this request and will continue to do so and formalize it, as appropriate.

3. In terms of protecting the municipality’s trees we have increased the budget in this area and have also increased the staff. I do have concerns about the modest size of replacement trees and whether replanting would be more successful if larger specimens were planted. I have also expressed concerns about how new trees are watered as they settle into their new locations. Currently, staff hand water. I have advocated for the use of watering bags, as I have seen them used in other jurisdictions. They appear to be not only a labour saving measure but also provide a consistent flow of water to the roots of the trees.

4. In terms of encouraging builders to leave mature trees in place there are a couple of relatively simple measures that could have dramatic results. The first would be to communicate that at the City we have a culture where trees matter and that they are not just seen as an impediment to development. The process that I outlined in #1 speaks to a mechanism that would also be helpful in this regard.

5. If paying a fine related to the loss of a tree continues to be seen as a very modest additional charge to the cost of doing business we will not see any changes in behaviour. A significant fine would be a first step in changing behaviour. I also think that if this was coupled with the requirement to replace the lost tree with a replacement tree of significant size that this could result in a change of behaviour, as well.

Thank you again, for the opportunity to respond to these questions.

1. The growing of hemp in our backyards to be used for construction. And a promotion for new buildings to include a carbon neutral, to carbon negative footprint. Meaning, the completed project would remove carbon from our air.

2. This is important, so, right away!

3. We have bylaws already that do, just that. However, reviewing the types of trees, and the construction of our sidewalks, would be necessary to increase longevity of our downtown canopy.

4. If it can be done, great! If not, then equal + replacement of ecological equivalents.

5. Sorry, but I am against the use of fines for citizens disobedience. What I would suggest is a direct contribution in the replacement and caretaking of new growth, equal +, to what was destroyed.

Thank you for taking the time to pose these engaging questions in the interest of protecting our urban canopy, trees, and environment.

1) My understanding is that the current protections for trees in Victoria is very inadequate and our tree canopy cover has fallen to 18% or less. While the cities 2 for 1 planting for removal is positive, I would like to see more planting initiatives supported and implemented in neighbourhoods across the city. Ideally I would set a target of 40% canopy coverage through an Every Tree Counts initiative like that of Toronto.

2) Environmental sustainability is a priority to me and so it would be an issue that I would take action on within my first year as a city councillor.

3) We must make tree protection a priority moving forward from this election. Tree protection policy should be integrated into decision making at all levels of governance that effect trees. There will be limited potential for budget increases in this area, and so the best method to increase tree retention and growth on residential and private lands is education, funding community and non-profit led initiatives, and providing financial incentives for residence to plant trees and developers to retain mature trees. Tree establishment, a commitment to building a culture of caring and maintaining trees, not just planting them is also essential. Along with all of this will be a clear need to track progress of this project to meet our commitments to tree canopy growth.

4) Financial incentives can be a valuable tool to encourage developers to leave trees in place. However, education and outreach support can be a more valuable tool as it creates awareness, partnerships, and encouragement to value trees as important contributors to land use and community space. As noted previously, partnering with non-profits and community groups to engage with developers on these issues is essential to the programs success.

5) Where people purposefully harm or kill a tree for personal gain I believe stronger penalties should be in place to discourage this kind of behaviour. $40 is not a deterrent to most landowners, so finding an amount in line with others cities committed to tree protection would be something I would support.

Thank you for your time and questions. I’m proud to the only candidate who has tree canopy and environmental protection as a key part of my platform.

I thank the staff of Trees Matter Network for forwarding this survey.

My answers to the five questions would overlap, so please permit me to answer them in a unified way.

The benefit of trees in a city is finally becoming obvious, and other cities around the world are responding with creative solutions, like “garden in the sky” buildings, with tree cultivation included in the design and engineering of the building. This should be considered as a requirement for new high rises in our own city. As well, maintenance and care of existing tree cover will be a priority in my Administration. Our local climate, coupled with a rocky subsoil, makes a regular tree-watering schedule essential in the summer months. It is a good investment, since a healthy tree cover reduces air conditioning expenses, among other advantages. A hazard for all city trees is motor vehicle emissions, which acidify the rain, which in turn weakens plant life. A major plank in my platform is the restoration of rail service to and from Victoria, which will alleviate air pollution during commuting hours by reducing car traffic, thus benefiting the trees as well as the health of all citizens. Basically, taking care of our trees and increasing their number would make Victoria more livable and attractive, and it should be a priority for any municipal administration. It will certainly be for mine.

Yes, trees matter–not only are they beautiful, but provide shade and oxygen and comfort for us. I would protect trees in Victoria, and approve of an increase in penalty for anyone who needlessly destroys any.