www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 26, 2007 - 3 Tree Canopy Legacy Plan aimed at future generations By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF www.homesweetlinens.com Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm Bamboo Towels · Mirco Plush Sheet Sets · Flannel Sheets · Plush Bathrobes · Luxury Knit Throws · Bathroom Accessories Damask or Plain Tablecloths Available in any size, shape & 20 colours. Order yours today for Thanksgiving. Oakville is getting back to its roots, literally, if Town council agrees to a Tree Canopy Legacy Plan announced Monday by Mayor Rob Burton. That plan will see Oakville's urban tree canopy grow from its current 29 per cent to 40 per cent in 50 years -- a gift from the generation celebrating Oakville's 150th anniversary this year to those who will celebrate its 200th anniversary. It will require planting trees, lots of them, thousands, said Burton. It's not easy to get trees growing -- new plantings experience high mortality rates -- and the areas of town that really need more trees have other issues working against them -- clay-laden soil north of the QEW that sees the lifespan of trees that do grow to be about 20 years and severe soil compression caused by past development techniques. Just how many trees will be needed, and how much it will cost, has yet to be determined. Estimates should be included in a report on which Town staff is working and will bring before council. It's likely a price tag Oakville residents won't mind paying, however, given the evidence of the past -- areas with little tree cover and difficulty in growing trees -- the very neighbourhoods in which many Oakvillians, particularly new residents, now live. Burton announced the plan as part of National Forest Week (Sept. 23-29) at the south side of Town Hall, near the diversion creek, where this Saturday the local group Ground Breakers, which has planted thousands of trees in Oakville over the past several years, will plant 200 more. The mayor said any efforts the community, through corporate, private and service club donation to plant or pay for the planting of trees, will be more than welcome in assisting the Town achieve its plan. The legacy plan won't just attempt to increase urban tree canopy, either. The Town hopes to go further by attaching stipulations to construction as north Oakville develops. "The provincial government over the last two years has given municipalities enhanced powers and tools to deal with growth to make it cleaner, greener and smarter, and we'll use them," said Burton, noting developers, too, are on board with the philosophy as they also recognize the value of Join our monthly newsletter thru email and receive information about · New Products · Special Sales · Extra Discounts Send us an email at saeed@homesweetlinens.com Subject Join Newsletter Please note we only send out 1 email per month and all information remains confidential. TAKING ROOT: Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, centre, Liz Bennian, founder of Ground Breakers and Colin Lacey, of Evergreen, stand on the next Ground Breakers tree-planting site at Town Hall. tree cover. While the urban tree canopy is what Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar calls the "lungs" of the community, much of the area's biodiversity, which is supported through interior forests, has been lost not to be compensated, according to Elgar. Ward 5 Councillor Tom Adams represents northeast Oakville, an area in which there is limited urban tree canopy. Burton noted the 40 per cent urban tree canopy is "the magic number" that experts have deemed to represent the environmental health of a municipality. While enhancing the natural environment is a key goal of the Town' 2007-2010 Strategic Plan, Burton said the legacy plan is a measurable strategy. Oakville was recognized as the 2007 Forest Capital of Canada by the Canadian Forestry Association for demonstrating its stewardship and sound practices toward sustainable forest development, management and conservation. The Town was lauded based on its strong track record of urban forest planning and management. Examples of its leadership include being the first municipality in Canada to have the designation of Certified Forest for Iroquois Shoreline Woods Park, by the internationally-recognized Forest Stewardship Council of Canada. Other examples include being the first Ontario municipality to complete a community-wide Urban Forest Effects Model (UFORE) analysis and having Official Plan policies that support its urban forest. Last month, urban foresters from across Canada converged in Oakville to study the town's leading-edge practices. "As it marks its 150th anniversary, the Town of Oakville offers a model of how urban areas should cultivate and protect their trees," said David Lemkay, general manager of the Canadian Forest Association, which sponsors National Forest Week and the annual designation of the forest capital of Canada. While Iroquois Shoreline Woods Park is in Adams' ward, the area still, according to the UFORE study, has only 18.9 per cent urban forest canopy. That compares to 48.1 per cent in southeast Oakville, 38.5 per cent in southwest Oakville and 39.9 per cent in south-central Oakville. Glen Abbey, River Oaks and Iroquois Ridge have 31.5 per cent, 38.5 per cent and 35.9 per cent, respectively, and areas of the midtown core are approximately 9.3 per cent to the west and 6.6 per cent to the east -- with a measure of 35.9 per cent in the area that is home to Sixteen-Mile Creek. Just south of Dundas, the urban canopy ranges from 20.2 per cent in the west to 16.8 per cent in the east. Adams points to a development technique he calls moonscaping as a major contributing factor for poor soil and soil compaction. While most of south Oakville was developed by digging foundation by foundation, Adams said areas north of the QEW were levelled, built upon and then landscaped. Adams and Elgar hope the town will require what they called structured soil when north Oakville is developed and noted other municipalities are stipulating the same requirement. Residents interested in trees in Oakville are invited to join a Town of Oakville Tell Us What You Think meeting on Tree Protection in Oakville tomorrow night from 6:30-9 p.m. at Central Library, 120 Navy St. MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER BRAND NAME DESIGNER LINENS up to u 75% off srp 10% off FORD DR. WINSTON CHURCHIL CHURCHILL BLVD. D Bring in this ad and receive an extra 2857 Sherwood Heights Drive, Unit #8 (Facing South Sheridan Way) Main Intersection Q.E.W. & Winston Churchill Q.E.W. S. SHERIDAN WAY N SHERWOOD HEIGHTS 905.842.9877