Background
In 2001, HRM Regional Council passed a motion proposed by Councillor Linda Mosher to develop a management plan for urban forests. This initiative was integrated with Council’s development of a long-range regional development plan that commenced in the fall of 2001.
In 2006, Regional Council adopted Policy E-20 contained in the HRM Regional Municipal Planning Strategy (RMPS). The policy states: “HRM shall prepare an Urban Forest Functional Plan to identify design guidelines and a management strategy tomaximize the urban forest.” (HRM, 2006).
The HRM Urban Forest Master Plan will:
- Establish the values, objectives, indicators, targets and management actions necessary for the sustainability of the urban forest.
- Identify urban forest issues and opportunities for their resolution.
- Adopt changes to funding allocations, regulations, policies, by-laws and processes for managing the urban forest.
- Raise public awareness of the importance of trees to the City and its citizens.
Community Engagement Notice - Fall 2011
HRM and Dalhousie University have developed the first draft of the
Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) to ensure a sustainable future for our urban
forest. The Plan will provide a way forward for the stewardship of trees in the
urban forest. The draft UFMP will be ready for review by the end of October
2011. We need citizens to take an active role in protecting and enhancing our
urban forest for the health of our community, so get involved with the UFMP!
Those interested in taking part in an upcoming stakeholder focus group meeting
can find out more at this UFMP
Stakeholder Meeting link.
Community Engagement Report - 2010
1. Introduction
During summer 2010, as part of the activities associated with development of
HRM’s Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP), several community engagement events were
held. The primary purpose of the events was information-sharing and
consultation. Feedback from the consultations will be used to inform
preparation of the draft UFMP. General issues with the urban forest have been
the primary focus area, although topics such as biodiversity, environmental
education opportunities, and the contribution of urban trees to a sense of
well-being were also discussed.
In summary, community engagement activities for the UFMP included two
advertisements in The Coast, three focus groups, three urban forest walkabouts,
and an open house. All activities were designed and led by us. Over the course
of the summer, the UFMP team also had an urban forest information line and email
address that acted as the primary means for contact with the public. We
experienced high interest from a select group of people who participated in most
of our events and received positive feedback following each event. Overall, we
judge the public interest in the UFMP to have been satisfactory. However,
participation was low at some events, likely due to summer vacations.
2. The Community Engagement Activities
2.1 Media Campaign
The first step in our community engagement program was a media campaign that
included a newsletter and advertisement in The Coast, a radio spot on CBC Radio
1, a number of research posters for the open house, a press release, and a
website. Generally, all of our advertisements were well received and resulted
in increased public interest in the UFMP. Following the first newsletter, we
were contacted by a number of individuals interested in learning more about the
UFMP and had participants in every event throughout the summer referencing it.
On August 17, Peter Duinker was interviewed on CBC Radio 1, which
resulted in a number of people attending the urban forest walkabouts and open
house. Finally, the research posters created for the open house were well
received and sparked interesting conversation within the crowd. Overall the
media campaign was successful and we got coverage from CBC Radio, The
Coast, the DAL Gazette, and the Halifax Gazette. During 2011, we will
develop four questions for the Halifax Metro-Quarterly questionnaire and will
advertise in the Naturally Green newsletter.
2.2 Initial Scanning Focus Group
On July 27, the UFMP team held an initial scanning focus group to gain public
opinion on the UFMP’s framework for values, objectives, indicators and targets
(VOIT). The meeting was facilitated by Peter Duinker, and 29 individuals from
industry, government and academia attended. We were very pleased with the
attendance at this session and had a balanced representation of professional
sectors. Discussion centred around the values outlined in VOIT and participants
were asked to identify their top three values prior to the focus group.
Based on participant responses, we discovered that two most-common values
were (a) sense of wellbeing, and (b) native biodiversity. Sense of wellbeing
was a focal area of discussion over the two-hour event. Participants commented
that trees contribute to a sense of wellbeing in a number of ways ranging from
psychological factors to providing a sense of place. Overall it was thought
that street trees contribute disproportionately high to citizens’ sense of
wellbeing.
On the matter of biodiversity and the role of native species in HRM’s urban
forest, most participants supported planting native species. Some individuals
held strong views about planting only native stock. Within this discussion,
there were concerns about replacement plans for older trees, the role of
historic trees (especially those that are non-native), and the biodiversity
qualities HRM should strive for within its urban forest.
There was also discussion about the legal rights of private landowners and
the municipality, and the identification of major barriers to development of a
healthy urban forest. One area of major concern was the communication
disconnect with land developers. Participants took the stance that trees must
be taken into account prior to the development of subdivisions, as this will
increase the age and species diversity of trees within an area.
The UFMP team gained a lot of useful feedback from participants. The focus
group highlighted the primary values of public concern and provided direction
for the development of subsequent focus groups. Feedback from participants was
satisfactory and will be considered when creating the UFMP.
2.3 Urban Forest Walkabouts
On August 17, the UFMP team hosted three guided tours of a small section of
HRM’s urban forest near Dalhousie University. During the walkabouts, citizens
engaged in an active learning session focused on the urban forest. Over the
two-hour walkabout, citizens were shown a range of challenges faced by the urban
forest, and some of the benefits it provides. HRM Urban Forester John Simmons
joined Dalhousie University’s Peter Duinker and his research team to guide the
walkabouts and discuss issues prompted by the specific elements of the urban
forest visited by the groups.
Discussion was wide-ranging and touched on concerns about the spacing between
street trees, the effect of installing lights on trees, the role of species
diversity, previous urban forest management practices, and regulations and
guidelines for arborists. Overall, the walkabouts provided a range of
information to participants and provoked interest in forming a volunteer program
associated with the urban forest.
2.4 Open House
On August 18, the UFMP team hosted an open house in room 5001 of the Rowe
building on the Dalhousie campus. The open house was designed as a meeting for
sharing information and expressing opinions on HRM’s urban forest and was open
to all members of the public. Twenty participants attended the open house where
they actively engaged in discussion based a series of posters prepared by the
team. The posters included two maps of the UFMP study area, two posters
outlining the major challenges facing HRM’s urban forest, and one poster each
discussing the benefits of the urban forest, the VOIT framework, and the results
from the Stratum and UFORE analyses of HRM urban forest.
During the open house, Peter Duinker gave a presentation on the UFMP and
HRM’s urban forest which spurred a lot of discussion similar to that of the July
focus group (see Appendix 4). Again, one area of concern was native tree
species, biodiversity, and what types of planting plans will be developed.
Other question areas included the management of large stands within the UF study
area, issues with stormwater runoff, and the meaning of the Stratum and UFORE
results. Although there was a small turnout to the open house, it was well
received and considered a success.
2.5 Focus Group on Native Species and
Biodiversity
Four citizens joined our focus group on August 25 . All four considered
climate change to be a significant issue that must be considered in light of
strong desires for native species and biodiversity. Instead of taking a hard
line for native species, the group felt strongly that the right
species/cultivars should be planted in each site to ensure tree health and
survival. Careful choice of non-native species is permissible.
Another concern was the need for more shrubbery in the city. Participants
held the view that in instances where trees will not succeed, shrubs often can.
One participant introduced the concept of adjustive management, “which reflects
both the uncertainty and the likely evolution of the moral values humans
attribute to biodiversity” (Maris & Béchet, 2009*). Participants felt that
HRM should consider adopting an adjustive management scheme within the UFMP.
By greening the city, we will be doing more for carbon sequestration, which is a
growing concern for the public.
* MARIS, V. and BÉCHET, A. (2010), From Adaptive Management to Adjustive
Management: A Pragmatic Account of Biodiversity Values. Conservation Biology,
24: 966–973. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01437.x
2.6 Focus Group on Sense of Well-Being and
Environmental Education Opportunities
We held our final focus group
on August 26 to address issues related to sense of wellbeing and environmental
education. Eight participants attended. In general, it was concluded that
trees are a major source of the sense of wellbeing within communities, but it
may be subconscious to many citizens. To ensure that HRM sustains its urban
forest, there should be more active volunteer opportunities for citizens to
become involved. The concept of a neighbourhood forest stewards program was
brought up, where citizens could directly participate with and care for the
urban forest. It is important to get champions of the urban forest in HRM
because we need citizens to gain a sense of ownership over the city trees in
order to promote sustainability. Various ideas on further public participation
were discussed along with school plantings and volunteer-led training for city
workers to decrease maltreatment of city trees.
3. Main Themes Arising from the
Consultations
Here we present a collation of some of the main themes - 25 in all - we heard
about from participants at our various events. The order of themes below is
more or less random and does not indicate any sense of relative priority.
3.1 Definition of Urban Forest
A common question throughout the public engagement sessions was centred on
the definition of urban forest. As will be outlined in the UFMP, our definition
of the urban forest includes all of the public and private trees in the HRM
urban core. This includes trees in parks, such as Point Pleasant, trees between
the sidewalks and roads, and trees in citizens’ yards.
3.2 Sense of Wellbeing and Sense of
Place
One of the overarching themes of the engagement sessions was the importance
of trees on citizen’s sense of wellbeing and place. Citizens discussed the
importance of trees in providing shade, comfortable areas to walk, a visual way
to connect to nature and the seasons, and a physical reminder of place.
Participants believe that the psychological benefits of urban trees are the most
important although it may be at a subconscious level for many citizens.
3.3 Education
The public feels that education about the importance of the urban forest
needs to be increased across the spectrum. In schools, children need to be
educated on the benefits of trees and take part in planting and caring for
them. Tree-nursery owners need to be educated on the importance of growing
native and city-resilient species, and should promote planting of more trees on
private property. Land developers need to be educated on how to protect and
sustain tree populations while undertaking development operations. Finally,
participants discussed the importance of educating the general public and
increasing awareness and stewardship of HRM’s urban forest.
3.4 Tree replacement policy, density
There was confusion about how HRM deals with tree replacement when a sick
or dead tree needs to be removed. Questions included: What species should be
replanted? How far apart from each other should new trees be planted? Who is
responsible for replacing and caring for street trees? If an historical tree is
removed that is not a native species, should it be replaced by a tree of native
species or the species that was previously there to retain the historical
importance? What type of age diversity will be considered? The UFMP needs to
address all these kinds of questions.
3.5 Biodiversity
The role and importance of biodiversity within the urban forest was discussed
in a number of ways. Participants considered the role of native vs. non-native
species in terms of both a diverse and resilient urban forest. Participants
concluded that although native species are preferred, HRM needs to plant species
suited to the conditions of each site so as to maintain or increase the
sustainability of the urban forest. Other topics discussed in connection with
biodiversity were varying the gene pool of species bought from nurseries, how we
can incorporate more shrubs in the urban forest, and the concept of species
richness and evenness throughout the urban forest as well as in specific
stands.
3.6 Riparian Setbacks
Trees are essential to the maintenance of healthy riparian habitat in Nova
Scotia. It is important to protect sufficient trees when developing in riparian
habitats.
3.7 By-laws
Participants discussed various ways that HRM might be able to control or
direct people’s behaviours around the city to conserve trees. A strong tree
bylaw was considered essential for securing a sustainable urban forest. Issues
to be included in bylaw revisions include possible permissions for landowners to
cut down living trees on their properties, and the rights of landowners to
direct sunshine on their properties (i.e., freedom from tree shade).
3.8 Tree Maintenance
HRM is responsible for maintaining trees on lands it owns (e.g., city parks,
boulevards, tree lawns next to streets). It is not the responsibility of
citizens to take action to correct problem situations with trees that HRM owns.
HRM should be called to take action. The responsibility to maintain a tree
falls to whomever owns the land where the tree is growing. This includes
homeowners.
3.9 Funding
Participants recognized that funding for HRM’s urban-forest program is
too low. Given the current budget allocation and the high cost of planting
appropriate trees in public places such as along streets, HRM is losing more of
its municipally owned trees each year than it is replacing. This highlights the
importance of citizens taking action into their own hands by planting more trees
on their own properties.
3.10 Greenways and Forest Patches
For many people, green belts and forest patches, where tree cover is high,
are the core of the urban forest. These areas are important to manage well for
wildlife habitat, biodiversity conservation, recreation, and many other benefits
of tree canopy cover.
3.11 Citizen Engagement
Citizens can become involved with the urban forest in many ways. It is
important for HRM to encourage this and provide avenues for doing so in both
active and passive approaches. Participants were in support of increasing urban
forest education through hands-on-learning, such as tree planting programs and
urban forest walkabouts, and through passive learning by posting tree
information placards, and increasing the availability of information on the
benefits and challenges of the urban forest.
3.12 Trees as Green Infrastructure
Given the many ways in which urban trees physically improve the environment -
air-quality improvement, storm-water control, temperature and wind amelioration,
to name a few - it behoves city planners and developers to view trees as green
infrastructure and use them more often to provide services that would, in the
absence of trees, either not be provided or would require expensive engineering
works to provide.
3.13 Links to the Provincial Government
The Government of Nova Scotia owns considerable amounts of land in HRM, even
in the urban core. To sustain the entire HRM urban forest, it is important to
cooperate with the Government of Nova Scotia, particularly in relation to parks
and protected areas in the urban core (e.g., Long Lake Provincial Park).
3.14 Ecological Services
The urban forest provides many ecological services to the city and its
citizens. These include, among other things, slowing down and retaining
stormwater, providing shade, and sequestering carbon from the air. It is
important for the UFMP to address these issues and ensure that the urban forest
plays as strong a role as it can in continuing to provide ecological services
consistently across the urban core. It is also important for citizens to become
aware of and understand these ecological services.
3.15 Industrial and Commercial Zones
Industrial and commercial zones - e.g. Bayer’s Lake Commercial Park,
Burnside Industrial Park, Dartmouth Crossing - are major problem areas in
relation to HRM’s urban forest. Vast areas of land have been cleared of all the
trees and built up with buildings, roads and parking lots, all impervious hard
surfaces. Strategically placed trees in these built-up areas could provide huge
benefits economically, environmentally and socially.
3.16 Metal Hardware in Trees
Many people, including citizens but also people working for businesses and
the city itself, see trees as handy posts from which to hang things. In yards,
clotheslines and treehouses often result in metal fasteners becoming embedded in
the wood. In the streets, trees often are used as anchors for utility poles and
as carriers for street signs. In some places in the city - e.g., the Grand
Parade - trees are used to support decorative lighting equipment. While such
uses of trees may not affect their health, they certainly reduce the utility of
the wood once a sick or dead tree needs to be removed. Whereas a tree devoid of
metal objects inside it can be used for lumber, firewood or chips, a city tree
that may have metal objects embedded in the wood has no use whatsoever and
usually needs to be dumped somewhere.
3.17 Fire
Forest fire is an increasing concern of HRM citizens in HRM, especially after
the Porters Lake fire of 2007 and the Spryfield fire of 2009. This concern is
based on the greenways and forest patches within and surrounding HRM, as they
can bring fire close to subdivisions. The UFMP needs to have special
considerations for the managment of these and other fire-prone lands in HRM.
3.18 Clearcutting Prior to Development
A major problem with development of forest land at the periphery of the urban
core is that developers often clearcut the land and then replant trees sparsely
around the new buildings and roadways. Much stronger consideration is needed on
retention of forest green belts and patches in new developments.
3.19 The Underground Environment
Trees depend on the soil for nutrients and anchorage. Urban environments
present many challenges for trees to be able to develop sufficient rooting
systems for a long and healthy life. In areas disturbed by development, we now
know how to build tree-friendly planting environments. While these are
expensive, they are essential for confident tree establishment. The UFMP must
address the need for improving tree-rooting habitats in disturbed sites.
Underground placement of utility infrastructure such as pipes and cables can
be a major challenge to the urban forest. Care and intelligent design and
installation, with recognition of the dynamics of tree-root development, can
reduce conflicts for both trees and built infrastructure.
3.20 Long-term Planning
Trees have life spans ranging from a few years (young trees frequently die
due to the harsh growing conditions in urban settings) up to a century or two.
People need to consider the long-term future when decisions are made about where
to put which trees in the urban environment. For example, one would want to
guard against a situation where all the trees on a street are old, with no young
ones already underway to form the new canopy once the old trees succumb and
die. A balanced age-class structure, on a fine spatial scale, is important for
urban-canopy continuity over the long term. That is why the UFMP will take a
long-term view to managing the urban forest.
3.21 Wildlife
Wild animals in the city are, depending on the species, at times welcome and
at times shunned. For example, coyotes and racoons are generally unwelcome, but
diverse songbirds bring positive reactions from urban citizens. Most of the
welcome birds and other small animals are only present because of the urban
forest. Judicious management of all aspects of the urban forest can foster the
positive aspects of urban wildlife while minimizing the negative side of
nuisance wildlife.
3.22 Heritage Trees
Heritage trees are particularly important individuals by virtue primarily of
their age and often also because of their large size. Participants at our
consultations said that heritage trees provide a sense of place for HRM
citizens. Whether of native or non-native species, the UFMP must address the
conservation of heritage trees and indeed make provisions for new heritage trees
to flourish across the urban landscape.
3.23 Climate Change
Most people accept that the globe’s climate is changing. In HRM, this
probably means a significant warming trend over the 21st century. The UFMP must
consider the diverse effects of climate change on the urban forest, both on the
extant trees and those to be planted during the next decades. This may mean
that native species may not always be the best choice for urban plantings,
depending on their resilience and adaptability.
3.24 Invasive Alien Species
Invasive alien species are those from other areas that become established
in NS and spread to the detriment of native species. In HRM’s urban forest, the
Norway maple is a prime example among tree species of an invasive alien
species. The UFMP will need to address the invasiveness of any non-native tree
species planted. It must also address the issue of non-tree invasive alien
species, of which there are several categories: diseases brought to NS
unwittingly on non-native plant materials (e.g., the beech bark disease);
ornamental species brought to NS for landscape beautification (e.g., Japanese
knotweed); and species brought here by accident as a result of trade in
manufactured goods (e.g., the brown spruce long-horned beetle). Travelling
citizens and trading businesses must be compelled to be vigilant against
importation of alien species to NS except under highly regulated circumstances.
3.25 Safety
Some participants brought up the issue of safety in connection with the urban
forest. Safetyrelates to urban trees in several ways. First, it is well known
by now that urban trees help reduce crime. Second, urban trees (and shrubs)
need to be managed in such a way as to help people feel safe walking at night.
This may mean simple things like keeping the tree crowns up from the trunk by
several metres. Finally, people are rightly concerned about branches or entire
treees falling onto themselves or their properties, especially during windy
conditions. We just need to recall how Hurricane Juan was responsible for tree
damage to many buildings in the HRM, and even some cars were crushed by toppled
trees. The UFMP will need to address all aspects of safety in relation to trees
in the city.
4. Conclusions
In the public engagement program we have implemented so far in relation to
the HRM UFMP,we attempted to meet the requirements of HRM’s Community Engagement
Strategy by following the ten principles of community engagement. During summer
2010, the UFMP team has hosted seven successful community engagement events.
Feedback from participants has been positive and a number of citizens have
requested updates on the UFMP during its development. In all of the events, the
social value of the urban forest was discussed most frequently. This can be
attributed to citizens’ assessment of the importance of trees and the urban
forest with their sense of wellbeing.
Considering our plans as developed in 2010, several community engagement
initiatives are still needed in 2011. These include advertising in the
Naturally Green Newsletter, developing a second information item for The Coast
(on the progression of the plan and CE events of thesummer), questions in HRM’s
metro-quarterly, street interception surveys, an open house, and potentially a
workshop. We know of a cadre of citizens following the development of the UFMP
who are interested in participating in more events.
Based on our conversations with participants, it is clear that some
Haligonians at least have a strong interest in protecting and sustaining their
urban forest. There is potential to develop a volunteer-based neighbourhood
forest-stewardship program that could be fostered in the UFMP. HRM needs to
increase the number of urban forest public participation programs within the
region to ensure citizens are informed about and conscious of the urban
forest.
Jen Ross and Peter Duinker
School for Resource and Environmental
Studies
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
B3H 3J5
Do you have questions or comments about the Urban Forest Master Plan?
E-mail us at: UFMP@halifax.ca
|
