Study shows canopy cover is growing and trees are healthier

RICHMOND HILL – Richmond Hill continues to make progress on implementing the City’s first Urban Forest Management Plan, which is a strategic approach to protecting and growing the urban forest in the community.

In the first two years of implementation, the City achieved a number of milestones, including:  

• Initiating woodlot restoration projects at Beaver Woodland, Elgin Mills Greenway, Phyllis Rawlinson Park, Saigeon Trail and David Dunlap Observatory Park;
• Establishing an interim Invasive Species Response Procedure to guide the City’s response to invasive species and pests, such as spongy moth on public property;
• Continuing to provide urban forest education, engaging the community on tree planting and encouraging naturalization on private property through programs and collaborations, such as
  • the Community Stewardship Program, where almost 28,000 trees were planted on public lands with help from 2,000 volunteers;
  • the Healthy Yards Program, which provided more than 3,500 trees and shrubs, and 9,000 wildflowers to residents at a subsidized cost; and
  • partnerships with organizations such as York Region, Ontario Streams, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF), local schools, residents, businesses and community groups.

Richmond Hill’s urban forest is a shared asset that everyone has a role in protecting and growing. The City will continue to work with the community and key partners to protect the urban forest and promote growth for generations to come.  

For more information and to download Richmond Hill’s urban forest fact sheets, visit RichmondHill.ca/UrbanForest.

Quick Facts

• Richmond Hill’s urban forest is made up of approximately 2.96 million trees on public (25 per cent) and private (75 per cent) property. Trees and woodlands throughout our community are an essential component of our urban infrastructure, as they help make our community healthy and resilient in countless ways, including cleaning the air and water, reducing flood risk, conserving energy, counteracting urban heat stress and increasing property values.
• The City completed an Urban Forest Study (UFS) in partnership with York Region and the TRCA. The UFS shows that in the last 10 years canopy cover has increased from 25 to approximately 30 per cent; and the number of trees in excellent or good condition increased from 64 to 75 per cent.
• The UFS  also found areas the City and community must continue to address, such as diversifying tree species, protecting and enabling trees to mature, managing invasive species and pests, and conserving natural assets to help combat the impacts of climate change.

Quotes

“I’m really excited about the progress we’ve made in caring for our urban forest and I want to continue to share this good news story with the community. All of the things we’re doing, like planting thousands of diverse native trees every year, restoring woodlots, maintaining and preserving trees is making a difference and will lead to a healthier, more resilient urban forest.” – Mayor David West

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