Urban Trees in Ottawa: Putting Down Roots for the Future
The city of Ottawa is launching their urban forest management plan today in celebration of national tree day at Horticulture Building in Landsdowne Park
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Warning! Pest Alert!
The Canadian Food and Inspection Agency and Ecology Ottawa express major concerns about the rapidly growing population of the Emerald Ash Borer insects in trees in Southern Ontario, predominately Ottawa. Both organizations are looking to the Forest Management team in City Council to solve this crisis.
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Did you know the Emerald Ash Borer is an insect infecting Ash trees in Ottawa? Millions of trees are dying and the urban forest environment is at risk.
What will Ottawa City Council do to solve this issue in their Urban Forest Mangement Plan? Stay tuned to find out!
For more information on the Emerald Ash Borer crisis visit the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency's website: www.inspection.gc.ca or call 1-866-463-6017
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Ecology Ottawa's organizer Velta Tomsons urges people to sign their petition to ensure the city follows through with the Urban Forest Management Plan.
"We want to make sure we have a strong and publicly accessible Forest Management strategy," said Tomosons. "We need 10 000 signatures to make sure, if for whatever reason the city starts wavering on their true course, that we're able to show them that this is important to Ottawa residents."
To sign the petition online visit ecologyottawa.ca
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Ecology Ottawa steps up to the mic and announces, "50 years from now Ottawa could develop into a worldwide example for a city focused on urban forest development."
Ecology Ottawa stresses the need for the public to demand change and action for the city to develop a world class strategy other cities around the world look to model.
"World class tree space should be a priority for Ottawa," said Ecology Ottawa as the crowd erupts in applause.
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"But what about the Emerald Ash Borer crisis?" Keynote speaker Philip van Wassenaer, the principal consulting arborist and founder of the Urban Forest Innovations, asks the crowd.
20 million trees have died from those pesky bugs in Ottawa and area says Wassenaer.
Over the next six months the City of Ottawa is teaming up with Ecology Ottawa and public consultation to determine how to solve this crisis and how to make Ottawa a worldwide model of urban forestry.
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"It doesn't make sense to plant all one spieces of trees," says Wassenaer.
25 per cent of Ottawa's urban trees are ash and with the continuing invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer they are at risk of being completely wiped out.
"We plan to plant a wide variety of trees to avoid another insect invasion like the current ash crisis in the future," says Wassenaer.
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In the Urban Forest Mangement Plan the City of Ottawa plans to optimize the surface area by planting tall trees which are more benifical to the environment and last longer says Wassenaer.
The city also plans to increase funding to improve urban tree maintenance and resources.
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Over the next 18 months the Urban Forest Management Plan will fight for land to be reserved for tree preservation to battle land development that minimizes the space to plant trees says Wassenaer.
The city also wants to encourage citizen engagement and increasing public awareness.
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The city will review the plan every five years for a 20 year period.
The objective over the 20 years is undecided because with nature there are many unpredictable factors such as natural disasters or insect invasions that wipe out trees.
"The overall goal is to plan, develop, learn and grow," says Wassenaer. "We will adapt the plan as we go to maximize success and improve our strategy as we go."
For more information or to follow the ongoing development of the City of Ottawa's Urban Forest Management Plan visit
ottawa.ca
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