In early 2018, Sidney completed a Parks Master Plan. One of the objectives identified was the creation of an Urban Forest Strategy (UFS) to address the long-term management of trees on both public and private land in Sidney. Beginning June 2018, Town staff worked with consultant Barefoot Planning to develop a UFS that provides a clear vision and objectives for the future management of Sidney’s urban forest.
Council received the Town’s Urban Forest Strategy on June 24, 2019 and have directed staff to analyze the action items from the strategy and bring forward potential projects for consideration as part of the annual fall strategic planning and subsequent budget process.
The Urban Forest Strategy is intended to provide guidance for how Sidney’s urban treescape is managed. Specifically, the project aimed to:
- Assess the existing tree canopy cover and set goals for future tree canopy coverage
- Address the long-term health, distribution and preservation of trees in the Town, including potential changes to bylaws/policies
- Review the existing policy and regulatory mechanisms for identifying and preserving significant treed areas
- Identify areas to potentially expand the urban tree canopy coverage (e.g. parks) and make related recommendations
- Create boulevard tree policies that inform the enhancement, replacement and expansion of urban street trees in the Town
Contact Information
Have a question about the Urban Forest Strategy? Contact the Town’s Engineering Department.