Lincoln, ON – (August 14, 2024) – The Town of Lincoln is announcing several community engagement initiatives starting in Fall 2024 to rally the community towards a collective, ongoing goal of a healthy urban tree canopy.
The Town established an Urban Forest Management Review working group in late 2023 to review and revise its urban forest practices. The group aims to adopt best practices in urban forest management standards and policies through engagement with Lincoln community members.
“We understand the importance of maintaining a healthy urban forest, thanks in large part to the outstanding work undertaken by the working group, and in alignment with Council priorities,” said Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. “We hope to inspire all Lincoln community members to collaborate with us in nurturing a healthy urban forest so that current and future citizens can reap all the human health, environmental and economic benefits that trees provide.”
Councillor Tony Brunet, who is a member of the Urban Forest Management Review working group, added that recent development has caused significant tree loss that has not been compensated for. “We are expecting to see more trees lost due to infill development, so we are being proactive in our approach to restoring and increasing Lincoln’s healthy tree canopy.”
As part of this work, an updated set of Tree Related Policies, By-laws, Procedures and Standards will be shared with the community in Fall 2024. Please stay tuned for opportunities to learn more about how these proposed policies will benefit the greater community, and for ways to share your input.
“A goal of the working group is to integrate sound urban forest management policies with the Town of Lincoln’s climate mitigation and adaptation strategies because maintaining a healthy urban forest aids in controlling flooding and erosion, and helps to cool the community,” added Liz Benneian, a member of the working group, and the executive director of Ontariogreen. “The recommendations of the working group have been guided by the best practices and experiences of other municipalities, by staff with specialized expertise and by citizens’ groups with knowledge of urban forest policies and practices. We look forward to engaging with more of the community this fall,” she says.
The following initiatives will take place in Fall 2024, with more details on how to participate available in the coming weeks:
- 1,000 Tree Planting Community Challenge – This will be a collaborative, measurable community effort to achieve this important milestone by the end of 2024. This can be an ongoing community initiative with additional targets set out annually. A new, interactive Map on the Town’s Speak Up Lincoln site allows community members to plot the trees they've planted on their properties. Participants who have planted a tree in Lincoln in 2024 and have added a pin to the map will be entered for a draw to win one of three $100 gift cards to a local Lincoln business!
- Heritage Tree Hunt – From now until the end of September, Ontariogreen Conservation Association will be sponsoring the Town of Lincoln’s first ever Heritage Tree Hunt, a contest where community members can submit photos of their favourite trees in one of five categories and potentially win $100. See more details below.
- Native Tree giveaway and Rain Barrel Sale – This event follows in the footsteps of previous’ years giveaways and sales. The event is scheduled for October 4, 2024 – more details including how to register will be announced in the coming weeks.
- Local Business Tree Planting Challenge – This initiative will encourage local businesses to contribute to the 1,000 trees planting challenge and promote stewardship of a healthy urban forest within the business community through a recognition program. Stay tuned for the fall date and details.
- Miyawaki Mini Forests Pilot Project by Town of Lincoln and Ontariogreen – this project is possible thanks to grants of $17,000 from the Niagara Community Foundation and $10,000 from the Greenbelt Foundation through the Living Cities Canada Fund, a program of Green Communities Canada. The Mini Forest will help naturalize urban spaces, mitigate and address climate change, and enrich biodiversity. The planting is planned at the Rotary Park in October 2024 – date and details to come.
- Various community tree planting events, including Ashby Drive Park site planting and the planting of oak saplings from historic Lincoln trees on Hillside Trail – date and details to come.
More information on the Urban Forest Management Review is available at speakuplincoln.ca/urban-forest.