nuisance trees

TREES AND NUISANCE TREES2008 04 14

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Street Tree Program

• Program in place since 1990

• Over 14,500 street trees have been planted to date

• All land development projects require installation of street trees by developer

• All road works projects in urban areas include street trees where the road is being completed with curbs

• Tree species chosen for hardiness, safety & long-term benefits

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Benefits of Street Trees

• Neighbourhood identity

• Improvements to microclimate (shade, stormwater, air)

• Habitat value (nesting, shelter, food provision)

• Aesthetics

• Street Trees are protected and maintained by the Township

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Challenges of Trees

• Leaves that need to be raked• Insects that are attracted to trees• Roots creating uneven surfaces• Too much shade• Messy fruit and seed litter• Tree in the way of other desired uses

• Need to plant the right tree in the right place

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Tree Planting Improvements

• Root Barriers are now part of standard planting detail where trees are close to sidewalks and driveways

• Trees need sufficient soil volume to be healthy and mature into a significant contributor to a healthy urban ecosystem. The optimum for a 12” calibre tree is a soil volume of 22 cu. meters.

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Tree Planting Improvements

• New technology of a structural cell system allows for soil volumes under hard surfaces so that future heaving is avoided.

• Current practise is to provide as much volume of soil as possible in a utility strip to support trees.

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Tree Maintenance

• Urban Forestry Section responsible for maintenance of street trees.

• Undertook $56,000 of pruning work in 2007 to reduce tree nuisances of encroaching roots and branches.

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Tree Maintenance

• Spray programs are also completed for trees that are identified with heavy insect infestations that are creating nuisances for adjacent properties.

• These arbouricultural practises take a minimum of one complete growing cycle to be effective in reducing the nuisances.

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Nuisance Trees

• Nuisance Tree Policy to Council April 7, 2008• Emphasis on need to deal with nuisance trees through

Arbouricultural methods first for one full growing season • Revisions made on number of neighbours to be required

to be in support of removing a tree where the nuisance can not be reduced via Arbouricultural methods

• Clarification on maximum number of neighbours to be polled for a corner property

• Clarification that the cost of removing and replacing a street tree will be shared 50% with adjacent neighbour and 50% by Township

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Example

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