The urban forest is ecosystems composed of trees and other vegetation that provide cities and municipalities with environmental, economic, and social benefits. They include street and yard trees, vegetation within parks and along public rights of way, water systems, fish and wildlife.
Urban forestry is the planned and programmatic approach to the development and maintenance of the urban forest, including all elements of green infrastructure within the community, in an effort to optimize the resulting benefits in social, environmental, public health, economic, and aesthetic terms, especially when resulting from a community visioning and goal-setting process.
The primary objectives of the urban forest strategy are to ensure the public lands and urban forest:
• Provide residents opportunity for a pleasant open space experience
• Enhance the aesthetics of public lands
• Encourage the preservation of existing trees and vegetation
• Enhance habitat and support biodiversity
• Provide environmental leadership by creating sustainable landscapes
• Providing a pleasant commuting and tourist experience by screening adjacent properties and roadways while supporting the safe movement of traffic
• Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the general public by contributing to the processes of air purification, oxygen regeneration, water absorption, abatement of noise, glare and heat, and by promoting energy conservation through the cooling and wind buffering effects of trees
• Support healthy and safe trees
• Utilize the right tree, in the right place with the right care
• Manage public funds prudently and equitably
If you’d like to read more on the abridged urban forest strategy, go to https://floodreadiness.drumheller.ca/public/download/files/196194.
If you’d like to read more on the unabridged urban forest strategy, go to https://floodreadiness.drumheller.ca/public/download/files/196193.
Principal Landscape Architect Cristal McLean will be presenting the Town of Drumheller’s urban forest strategy at the upcoming community engagement events.
Newcastle Community Engagement Open House
Wednesday, December 1
Zoom (online) 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
In-person 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Badlands Community Facility
Downtown Dike D Community Engagement Open House
Thursday, December 9
Zoom (online) 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
In-person 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Badlands Community Facility