Vaughan Developing Urban Forest Management Plan

The City of Vaughan is speaking for the trees. 

Vaughan’s trees are an important resource. They are integral to the City’s character and enhance quality of life for residents by providing oxygen and cooling the air, providing shelter for birds and animals, reducing noise pollution and capturing stormwater run-off. Having trees in a community also beautifies the city landscape.

In 2022, Vaughan began the process of developing an Urban Forest Management Plan, using investments from the Canada Community-Building Fund. 

An urban forest is made up of every tree within the city, including trees in yards, along streets and in ravines and parks. The plan is intended to help care for and protect all the trees, vegetation, soil and ecosystem components within the City’s boundaries. Currently the City manages the health, removal and replacement of about 130,000 trees. 

The Urban Forest Management Plan will establish the City’s objectives for managing this important resource, and define a strategy for protecting and enhancing the environmental, social, and economical services provided by the urban forest to ensure that it is healthy and robust into the future.

The Plan will document the City’s existing urban forest inventory and management program, identify improvements needed to achieve the objectives, and define a roadmap for achieving those objectives. 

As part of the plan, Vaughan is also developing a Woodland Management Strategy to guide the management of all City-owned forests. 

Currently, Vaughan is engaging the public in a survey to help the City understand the shared values, goals and objectives that will inform the vision and recommendations for the plan. The entire plan is expected to be completed in late 2023.