Private Tree Protection

The Town of Lincoln is committed to maintaining and enhancing our urban forest, a shared resource that provides a wide range of environmental, economic, and social benefits. In recent years, the Town of Lincoln has taken several steps to enhance tree protection and community awareness, including protection and replacement measures for development sites and the launch of community tree planting initiatives.

At the same time, we continue to face challenges that impact the health and longevity of trees in our community, such as urban growth and climate change. There is an urgent need for stronger measures to protect our tree canopy, including trees on private land.

To address these challenges, Town Council directed the establishment of an Urban Forest Working Group through a Council Motion in September 2023, comprised of Lincoln citizens and several Council and Staff members. The Urban Forest Working Group is focused on reviewing and advancing the Town’s tree-related practices and policies by leveraging evidence-based best practices and knowledge sharing.

Town staff, in collaboration with the Urban Forest Working Group have begun exploring the implementation of a Private Tree Protection By-law to build on our efforts to maintain and enhance Lincoln’s urban forest.

What is the Urban Forest?

Urban forests comprise of the trees that grow within towns and other human settlements. This includes all individual trees in our yards, along our streets, and clusters of trees in urban parks, public spaces, ravines, and natural areas.

Urban forests are typically measured by their tree canopy: the layer of leaves, branches and stems that cover the ground when viewed from above. The urban tree canopy is a count and visual representation of all the trees in the Town on both public and private lands, including trees in natural areas and built settings. The Town of Lincoln’s tree canopy cover is approximately 22%, with orchards contributing a total of 2.8% (2021 Niagara Region data). Tree canopy coverage across municipalities in Ontario typically range from 15-30%. It's important to note that most of Lincoln's urban forest is on private lands.

Benefits

Urban trees are important shared community resources that provide many forest benefits and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Some of the many benefits of urban trees include:

• Improving local air and water quality
• Creating visually appealing, liveable environments that provide physical and mental health benefits
• Providing shade to protect from harmful UV rays and cooler ground temperatures.
• Lowering energy costs for heating and cooling buildings
• Helping manage stormwater and reduce flooding
• Providing natural habitats and food for native species of animals, birds, and insects

What is a Private Tree Protection By-law?

A regulation that requires a permit from the Town be applied for prior to undertaking any work that will result in damage to or removal of healthy, non-hazardous trees, larger than a specified diameter, on private properties. The Town currently does not have a Private Tree Protection By-law. It is one tool that the Town can use to protect and enhance tree canopy cover, and to help build a sustainable community.

Goals of a Private Tree By-law?

To protect and increase the Town of Lincoln’s tree canopy coverage by:

• Preventing clear cutting of trees.
• Discouraging the removal of healthy, non-hazardous trees and suggesting alternatives where possible.
• Requiring a replanting plan for the removal of healthy, non-hazardous trees.
• Encouraging a culture of tree preservation at the core of local growth.
• Taking into consideration issues of hazardous, dead, dying or terminally diseased trees.

We Want to Hear from You

We encourage residents to learn more about the benefits of a healthy tree canopy and how to care for the trees on their property.

Please stay tuned for more information, including upcoming opportunities to learn more and provide your feedback on a proposed Private Tree Protection By-law. The Town will be consulting with landowners, residents, environmental advocacy groups, land developers and businesses to get feedback on preferences regarding the preferred approach to regulating private individual tree removal.

Your input will help shape our approach to tree protection and ensure that we strike the right balance between environmental sustainability and property rights.