Urban Forest Management Review

The Town of Lincoln is undertaking an Urban Forest Management Review, in a collective effort to improve the health of the Town’s trees and increase Lincoln’s tree cover. This will be achieved through implementation of proven best policies and practices, so that the entire Lincoln community can reap all the economic, environmental and health-related benefits of a healthy urban forest.

A Council Motion in September 2023 has initiated the process to strike a working group. Some of the goals include developing a tree procedures and standards manual related to current tree-related policies, identifying ways to integrate urban forest management with the Town’s Climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and sharing the knowledge of the impacts of climate change on urban forest management with community members for the betterment of our urban forest.

Miyawaki Mini Forests Pilot Project

As part of the Working Group's efforts, the Town of Lincoln in partnership with OntarioGreen Conservation Association, will be undertaking a Miyawaki Mini Forests Pilot Project. The Town has received a $17,000 grant from the Niagara Community Foundation (NCF) to support this initiative. This generous funding will enable the Town to implement a Miyawaki Mini Forest in our community, helping to naturalize urban spaces, mitigate and address climate change, and enrich biodiversity.

The Miyawaki Mini Forests Pilot Project aligns with the Town’s mission of delivering services with an environmental, social, and economically resilient focus. Following directions from Town Council, the Working Group, inclusive of environmentally focused citizens' groups and staff with specialized expertise, reviewed tree-related practices and policies aligning with Council Priorities. These priorities emphasize enhancing air quality and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through the growth and maintenance of the urban tree canopy.

The exact location of the project is still to be determined, based on the Town’s short-list of potential sites, which will undergo further evaluation through a selection process that prioritizes protecting, restoring, and enhancing the environmental integrity of the Town’s urban forest system.

This will be a community planting initiative and more details will be provided on how to get involved as a volunteer as they become available.

The Town of Lincoln gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Niagara Community Foundation (NCF); a public foundation serving the people of Niagara since 2000. NCF connects donors to causes and communities to resources through permanent endowment funds, providing grants to eligible charitable organizations in culture, health, education, environment, recreation and social service sectors. NCF turns intent into impact.

Benefits of an Enhanced Urban Tree Canopy

The Town’s tree canopy is made up of both public and private trees and is a valuable infrastructure asset. Healthy urban forests and enhanced tree canopies provide numerous environmental, economic and social benefits to our community. Trees are as necessary as water, roads, and energy to sustaining a healthy community. Trees play an integral role in helping communities mitigate and adapt to climate change. A few of the numerous benefits of trees are outlined below:

Climate Change Mitigation

• Reduce temperatures and mitigating the heat-island effect through evapotranspiration
• Sequester the emission of greenhouse gasses by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
• Remove air pollutants by trapping particulate matter in their leaves, needles and bark

Climate Change Adaptation

Trees help communities adapt to climate change impacts such as increased precipitation and extreme weather events:

• Reduce the amount of runoff and pollution that enters stormwater and sewer systems
• Reduce soil erosion
• Increase soil absorption capacity

Environmental Benefits

• Improves local air quality through the active removal of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the air
• Mitigates air, dust, noise, heat, and chemical pollution
• Helps reduce local flooding through water filtration and reducing stormwater runoff
• Reduces urban heat island effect
• Provides important habitat for wildlife and helps preserve biodiversity

Economic Benefits

• Attractive environment for businesses and visitors
• Increased real estate values
• Enhanced tourism values
• Lower utility costs and increased energy savings as a result of climate amelioration, such as providing shade in the summer and blocking wind in the winter

Social and Health Benefits

• Contributes to desirable environments to live, work and spend leisure time
• Improves mental health and overall well-being by conveying sense of calm, relieving stress, and facilitating relaxation and outdoor activity
• Creates a buffer between moving vehicles and pedestrians

Trees are valuable public infrastructure, and not simply ornamentation. Whether publicly or privately owned, trees provide environmental, economic, social and health benefits shared by all of Lincoln. It is important to increase and maintain a healthy tree canopy with age and species diversity that keeps pace with the Town’s growth.

Get Involved

Please follow this page or stay tuned on the Town of Lincoln's website and social media accounts for updates on this project. We will look to engage Lincoln community members through in-person events and discussions, educational opportunities and digital feedback opportunities through this page.

Working Group

The working group consists of Lincoln citizens and several Council and Staff members. The group has met monthly since November 2023 and has already accomplished much to date. A presentation on the group’s work was made to the Town's Committee of the Whole (COW) on February 12, 2024. Included in the work was a review of urban forest best practices from other municipalities. The best practices in the report will inform an updated set of Tree Related Policies, Bylaws, Procedures and Standards that staff will be creating.

The subject areas of the report include:

1. Setting Tree Canopy Targets
2. Achieving Tree Canopy Targets
3. Tree Planting Guidelines
4. Quality & Quantity of Soil Requirements for Planting
5. Tree List for Town Plantings
6. Protection for Trees During Construction
7. Planting Standards for Parking Lots
8. Maintenance Best Practices for Newly Planted Trees
9. Educating Citizens on Tree Maintenance
10. Private Tree Protection Bylaw
11. Adequate Replacement Ratios
12. Engaging the Public to Help the Town Reach Its Tree Canopy Goals

Working Group Members

• Michael Kirkopoulos, CAO, Town of Lincoln
• Matt Bruder, Director of Planning and Development, Town of Lincoln
• Tony Brunet, Councillor, Ward 2
• Liz Benneian, Ontariogreen and BCAC
• Vernah Fleming, VFBG & Niagara Native Garden Club
• Jane Woolsey, Benchlands Citizens Group

Experts from other organizations, such as the Vineland Research Innovation Centre (VRIC) and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), may be asked for guidance as the work moves forward.