THE NEED FOR A PRIVATE TREE BYLAW

The destructive power of climate change hits home for many of us with the incredible storms we’ve recently experienced in Edmonton. One of the ways we can mitigate the damage is to preserve as many mature trees in Edmonton as possible. And one way to do that is to have a robust Private Tree Bylaw to prohibit the wholesale destruction of trees on properties undergoing infill.

The City of Edmonton is gathering feedback until August 4 for a new 10-year Urban Forest Management Plan. Here’s the link to a survey that takes 10-15 minutes to complete: https://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/gardens_lawns_trees/trees-urban-forestry

A Private Tree Bylaw is not the focus of this survey, but if it is something that you feel is important, here’s a chance to provide some input on an initiative that Council has the power to make happen. Although City Administration has argued that a Private Tree Bylaw would be costly and complex to enforce, most major cities in Canada now have such bylaws, which limit destruction of trees on private property. Why can’t Edmonton take meaningful (and immediate) action to protect our critical tree canopy?

Preserving mature trees:

• Improves air quality
• Reduces urban heat
• Manages stormwater runoff
• Helps maintain biodiversity in our urban environment
• Enhances the aesthetic appeal of our neighbourhoods

Here’s the link to more information offered by the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition in their piece entitled “Edmonton Needs A Private Tree Bylaw” - https://www.ervcc.com/tree-equity

This survey closes on August 4, so if you have time this week to do the survey, great!