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Preserving Collingwood's urban forest
14 April 2006
[indent]The reason I am trying to push for a tree preservation bylaw is fairly simple: I want to preserve and maintain the town's urban forest - that is, to make sure we always have trees on our lots, in parks and on boulevards. We have to think about how this town will look for generations, not merely the present.
Trees have many important roles - not merely aesthetic. They clean the air, they provide shelter and food for urban wildlife (our local inquilines from squirrels to birds), they provide shade and they buffer wind, rain and snow. They are integral to the well-being of the community and should be treated so.
Anyone who walks or bicycles through this beautiful town knows how attractive it is, and the many tree-lined streets are one of the most pleasing attributes of Collingwood. But on many streets you can see the mature trees aging, looking old and losing limbs. What happens when they come down? When they fall prey to disease or age?
A tree preservation bylaw would help us to create a replacement program so that we replant when trees are removed, so future generations will continue to enjoy our treed boulevards as much as we do.
It's not a restrictive bylaw that doesn't allow homeowners to remove trees from their property. What it does it creates a mechanism that regulates tree cutting and provides for suitable replacements. Should the owner not wish to have a replacement tree on his or her property, then they can pay to have one placed on town property - in parks or on boulevards.
This way we all contribute to the maintenance of our urban forest and to the beauty of our community. Of course, the replacement tree will have to be be one of a preferred species - oak, elm, birch, flowering fruit, etc. rather than common and quick-spreading Manitoba maples or Siberian elm.
There are exceptions, of course. If a tree can be proven to be diseased or a threat to safety, then it can be removed with replacement perhaps not necessary.
We already have a bylaw to deal with woodlots, by the way. This new bylaw is aimed at protecting individual town trees and preserving the look and urban health of our community.
Councillor Edwards expressed a concern that we are impinging on private property. Well, yes, we are - for the greater good of the community. That's what a government does - tries to find the best solution for the entire community. Even municipal governments do it - our non-smoking bylaw is a prime example. Our no-idling bylaw, too. But the proposed bylaw isn't meant to tell people they can't remove trees - it's meant to insure that it's done properly and that we are afforded a replacement for that tree.
If we don't do this, then all taxpayers will have to pay for replacing trees in parks and boulevards through their general property taxes. And since we have so many competing priorities for our limited tax revenue, it's likely tree planting will fall into the abyss and trees will never be protected or replaced. In a few years, those beautiful tree-lined streets will have gaping holes where mature trees have come down and nothing has been done to replace them. Trees in parks affected by disease, age, storms or lightning will not be replaced because there will be no money to do so.
We need this bylaw to help preserve the beauty and health of this community. Without it, we have no way to continue to protect its look and its ambience. I hope you will support my efforts and tell other members of council you do.[/indent]
Trees have many important roles - not merely aesthetic. They clean the air, they provide shelter and food for urban wildlife (our local inquilines from squirrels to birds), they provide shade and they buffer wind, rain and snow. They are integral to the well-being of the community and should be treated so.
Anyone who walks or bicycles through this beautiful town knows how attractive it is, and the many tree-lined streets are one of the most pleasing attributes of Collingwood. But on many streets you can see the mature trees aging, looking old and losing limbs. What happens when they come down? When they fall prey to disease or age?
A tree preservation bylaw would help us to create a replacement program so that we replant when trees are removed, so future generations will continue to enjoy our treed boulevards as much as we do.
It's not a restrictive bylaw that doesn't allow homeowners to remove trees from their property. What it does it creates a mechanism that regulates tree cutting and provides for suitable replacements. Should the owner not wish to have a replacement tree on his or her property, then they can pay to have one placed on town property - in parks or on boulevards.
This way we all contribute to the maintenance of our urban forest and to the beauty of our community. Of course, the replacement tree will have to be be one of a preferred species - oak, elm, birch, flowering fruit, etc. rather than common and quick-spreading Manitoba maples or Siberian elm.
There are exceptions, of course. If a tree can be proven to be diseased or a threat to safety, then it can be removed with replacement perhaps not necessary.
We already have a bylaw to deal with woodlots, by the way. This new bylaw is aimed at protecting individual town trees and preserving the look and urban health of our community.
Councillor Edwards expressed a concern that we are impinging on private property. Well, yes, we are - for the greater good of the community. That's what a government does - tries to find the best solution for the entire community. Even municipal governments do it - our non-smoking bylaw is a prime example. Our no-idling bylaw, too. But the proposed bylaw isn't meant to tell people they can't remove trees - it's meant to insure that it's done properly and that we are afforded a replacement for that tree.
If we don't do this, then all taxpayers will have to pay for replacing trees in parks and boulevards through their general property taxes. And since we have so many competing priorities for our limited tax revenue, it's likely tree planting will fall into the abyss and trees will never be protected or replaced. In a few years, those beautiful tree-lined streets will have gaping holes where mature trees have come down and nothing has been done to replace them. Trees in parks affected by disease, age, storms or lightning will not be replaced because there will be no money to do so.
We need this bylaw to help preserve the beauty and health of this community. Without it, we have no way to continue to protect its look and its ambience. I hope you will support my efforts and tell other members of council you do.[/indent]
