Agenda Index City of Vancouver

CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

CITY OF VANCOUVER
M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: Dona Misiere, Committee Clerk

SUBJECT: Vancouver Tree Trust

Michael von Hausen, Senior Landscape Planner, will give a report reference on the Vancouver Tree Trust program.

POLICY REPORT
DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director of CityPlans, in consultation with the General Manager of Engineering Services, the General Manager of Parks & Recreation and the Director of Finance

SUBJECT:

Vancouver Tree Trust

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On July 10, 1997 Council approved amendments to the Private Property Tree By-law No. 7347 which made the By-law more effective and helped to protect more trees during redevelopment. In the same report, Council approved a recommendation that staff investigate the development of a Tree Trust to further encourage the retention of trees. On November 7, 1997 Council approved the implementation of a basic sponsorship program for the acquisition of goods and services. This was done in order to ease the burden of City services that are supported by property taxes. Council also encouraged staff to explore opportunities for increasing the revenue generation capabilities of other City programs without the assistance of a consultant. Staff were further asked to report back on the details of each sponsorship initiative for approval to proceed.

SUMMARY

The proposed Vancouver Tree Trust will promote the role of trees in our city and will be a partnership between the City and the community. It will be an externally funded program that will focus on existing and new tree programs that would not otherwise be possible without outside funding. The Tree Trust will begin with one program, the Right Tree-Right Place booklet. This booklet will be a response to the many questions presented to our Tree By-law staff by the community. Topics such as choosing appropriate trees for small lots, solving conflicts between trees and utilities, tree management, and the benefits of trees in our neighbourhoods will be covered.

BC Hydro has already committed $10,000 to the Tree Trust. They chose the Right Tree-Right Place Booklet as the project they would most like to support, because of their ongoing interest in tree maintenance and utility wires. Staff are proposing the creation of the Tree Trust with a funding structure and as a first project, the Right Tree-Right Place Booklet. Once the Tree Trust is established, there will be opportunities to introduce additional programs as sponsorship is secured.

Staff have considered three other potential Tree Trust programs that have demonstrated public support but do not yet have any committed sponsorship (See Appendix B). Of particular interest is a continuation of the 1996/97 Tree Voucher Program that received significant public support, but requires a major financial contribution. Over the next year staff will seek external financial support for these programs and report back to Council.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to respond to a request from Council on July 10, 1997 that directed staff to proceed with the investigation of developing a Tree Trust. This report introduces the concept of a Tree Trust and outlines the need for and structure of the Tree Trust. Council is being asked to approve the recommendations for the implementation of a Tree Trust.

BACKGROUND

Since the introduction of the Tree Removal and Replacement Permit in August 1996, staff have become aware of a number of recurring tree issues and needs in the community. Through the Tree Information Line, and from applicants for development and building permits, staff have received hundreds of inquiries about all aspects of tree care. Many of the questions about tree selection, planting and retention have demonstrated a need for more education and outreach about the role of trees in our community. The success and community support for another Tree Voucher Program also prompted staff to examine future program funding possibilities (See Appendix B).

Last year, staff introduced the idea of a Tree Trust as part of a Report to Council that amended the Private Property Tree By-law. In addition to approving recommendations which made the By-law more effective and helped to protect trees during redevelopment, Council also approved a recommendation that staff investigate the development of a Tree Trust to further encourage the retention of trees.

In this regard, staff approached B.C. Hydro and other potential sponsors about setting up a Tree Trust that could be used to fund projects that would promote education and outreach about trees in the city. A number of options were discussed; including a booklet about tree planting in the city called “Right Tree-Right Place”, a Tree Stewardship Program to provide funds and professional assistance to save significant trees, and a return of the popular Tree Voucher Program that provided inexpensive trees to 3,000 households in the city. B.C. Hydro agreed to donate $10,000 to the Tree Trust and selected the “Right Tree-Right Place” booklet as a preferred program. With this level of interest in a Tree Trust, staff concluded there is sufficient interest to report the idea to Council.

DISCUSSION

The Tree Trust would focus on community projects that would not normally be funded. It would provide a valuable community service by protecting and enhancing neighbourhood character. The Tree Trust would also provide a forum to discuss issues and opportunities of common interest relating to trees and environmental projects and encourage community participation in neighbourhood tree projects. The Tree Trust could provide a depository for donations from developments that can not fulfill the tree replacement requirements on their own property and want to donate to street tree or park planting in their neighbourhood. Through donations, property owners and corporate sponsors would be taking part in promoting the welfare of the city’s urban forest in projects that have significant public value.

The creation of the Tree Trust will begin with a single project, the Right Tree-Right Place booklet. The current donation of $10,000 will cover the cost of developing this booklet and the associated promotion. The booklet would be sold at cost through community centres, libraries and City Hall. In addition, a Tree Trust account will be opened to receive donations for future initiatives. This single project approach offers the high visibility of the Tree Trust together with the simplicity of one project.

The Right Tree-Right Place booklet is intended to educate the public on tree planting in the city. This booklet will be part of an educational outreach to city residents and developers about selecting, planting and caring for trees, particularly on smaller city lots. The booklet will encourage the retention and planting of trees and will be tailored to Vancouver’s climate and lot sizes. A good example of similar publications are BC Hydro’s Planting Near Power Lines and the City of Winnipeg’s Tree Owners Manual.

There are three other potential programs planned for the Tree Trust (See Appendix B):

These three potential tree programs focus on different aspects of the urban forest and will involve participation from schools, developers, businesses and residents.

Donations to the Tree Trust will be recognized as Gold, Silver or Bronze Leaf depending on the level of contribution (See Appendix A). Staff will be seeking funding from the community for these programs through direct contact with potential corporate and individual donors. A “Community Partners” promotional package has been prepared to support this
effort. Following this initial funding effort, a poster campaign through the City’s libraries,

community centres and schools relating to the first project, the Right Tree-Right Place booklet, will also promote the Tree Trust and invite contributions to build the fund. Staff will report to Council for approval to proceed with the other potential programs when sufficient funding is obtained.

ADMINISTRATION AND STAFFING IMPLICATIONS

No additional staff will be required at this time as the proposed Tree Trust will be managed by existing staff. The proposed Tree Trust would eventually have a Sponsor Committee consisting of community members, “Gold Leaf Partners” that have made a minimum $10,000 contribution, a representative from the School Board and City staff (See Appendix A). This Committee would be necessary as program development would include project review, evaluation and selection for funding. Individuals or groups would submit their tree projects for funding and the Sponsor Committee would make their selections based on the specific program’s criteria.

In the meantime, with only one project proposed to start the Tree Trust - the Right Tree-Right Place booklet, a staff committee from Engineering, Parks, and Planning, along with the School Board and BC Hydro (the first Gold Leaf Partner), will meet periodically to discuss progress, external support and future programming ideas. The School Board has specifically expressed enthusiastic support for the concept of a Tree Trust. The tasks associated with the Tree Trust program will be borne primarily by the Tree By-law and Landscape Review staff. Community partners will also provide staff and volunteer assistance in projects that apply to their interests.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The Tree Trust will be a donor program, fully supported by community donations. Exceptional circumstances might arise that require additional funding by the City, but these will be on a special application basis that will be reported to Council. The City will contribute staff time in the interest of further education and outreach respecting urban tree conservation and management. Tree Trust funds will be maintained in a specific account.The day-to-day management of the Tree Trust funds will be overseen by the Tree By-law and Landscape Review Group in cooperation with Financial Services.

The extent of funding for the program is still to be determined. Some preliminary conversations with potential donors have been favourable, with B.C. Hydro being the first to provide a firm commitment of $10,000. Additional funding for the Tree Trust will be determined, to a large extent, by the promotion of the Tree Trust’s potential projects over the next year.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The Tree Trust will focus on community partnerships and the need for improved outreach and education about the city’s urban forest, with emphasis on tree retention, relocation and planting. The Tree Trust community projects will help improve neighbourhood character and contribute positively to the environmental quality of the city.

CONCLUSION

This report recommends that the Vancouver Tree Trust structure be approved and that a Tree Trust account be established to accept donations. The Tree Trust brings together the potential of a number of proven and community supported projects under one umbrella. Starting with the Right Tree-Right Place booklet, these projects will promote education and awareness regarding the value of our urban forest. The community partnerships formed through the Tree Trust will provide external support for valuable projects of public interest that would not normally be funded.

The Tree Trust will not require additional staff for the initial years of the program. The results of the first project and support for other related tree projects will provide a foundation from which to expand and enhance the Tree Trust. The environmental benefits of the proposed Tree Trust are potentially significant. By encouraging the retention and renewal of Vancouver's urban forest, the Trust will help provide a healthy and beautiful environment in which to live and work.

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APPENDIX A
Page 1 of 4

VANCOUVER TREE TRUST TERMS OF REFERENCE

A. OBJECTIVES OF THE TREE TRUST

and, in so doing, improve the overall neighbourhood character and environmental quality in Vancouver by:

B. PURPOSE OF THE TREE TRUST SPONSOR COMMITTEE

C. SPONSOR COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION

D. OVERALL CO-ORDINATION RESPONSIBILITIES

- arranging the meetings, agenda and recording the meeting minutes for the Sponsor Committee;

- reviewing and making recommendations to the Sponsor Committee on the merits of proposals that require funding or in-kind support;

- corresponding with Council regarding the process and recommendations for the Tree Trust;

E. SPONSOR COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE

F. PROJECT REVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCESS

Step 2: Staff will review the proposal in terms of the proposed project’s fit with the Tree Trust program criteria.

APPENDIX A

Step 3: Assuming the project fits the program criteria, the project is forwarded to the Sponsor Committee for evaluation.

Step 4: The committee will generally operate by consensus. Should a vote be necessary, a two-thirds majority will be required to approve a project, or for larger projects recommend approval to Council (based on the size, scale and complexity of the project, the project will be reported to Council for approval).

Step 5: The applicant is notified of the Sponsor Committee’s decision and, in the case of approval, the funds are processed.

G. COLLECTION AND DISBURSEMENT OF TREE TRUST FUNDS

H. DONOR RECOGNITION

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POTENTIAL TREE TRUST PROGRAMS

1. TREE VOUCHER PROGRAM

Starting in the fall of 1996 and ending in 1997, the Tree Voucher Program promoted tree planting on private property across the city. With a $10 voucher a Vancouver resident could buy a tree valued up to $40. The balance of the cost was provided by the partners. The Tree Voucher Program was valuable in that it reached out to individual residents throughout the city, provided an incentive to plant trees on private property and resulted in adding approximately 3,000 trees to the city’s urban forest. The original Tree Voucher Program was a partnership between the Green Streets Canada Foundation, BC Nursery Trades Association Members and the City of Vancouver. The City funded $30,000 or 25 per cent of the $120,000 total cost.

Phase 2 of the Tree Voucher Program will emphasize planting trees in the city for the new century. The City will be evaluating and refining the Tree Voucher program in 1998 for a potential launch in early 1999. This program will enable the City to offer Vancouver residents trees at reduced prices for planting on private property. Funding for the program will be approximately $60,000 to $100,000 to cover the cost of promotion and the cost of subsidizing the sale of about 2,000 trees. This is the most expensive of the potential tree programs and will require a major donor before proceeding, assuming that the City does not contribute financially to the program.

2. TREE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

The Tree Stewardship Program would support community efforts to retain, relocate and plant trees. It could cover projects on development and non-development sites. The Tree Trust would provide funds for the retention of significant trees and the relocation and planting of trees on and off development sites. Funding would be provided on a project by project basis. Once funded, the Tree Stewardship Program could result in the retention of six to ten significant trees each year.

The retention of a significant tree at 2333 West 20th Avenue is a good example of successful tree stewardship on private property in a residential neighbourhood. This large Sequioa tree was originally slated for removal as part of house construction on this site. Intervention by City staff, community groups and an interested arborist resulted in the owner agreeing to save the tree. A donation of $2,000 of arboricultural services ensured that the house could be completed without endangering the tree.

APPENDIX B
Page 2 of 2

In another project, Delta Land Corporation, the developer for a site on West 45th Avenue near Cambie, paid $20,000 to move 12 significant trees from the development site to Tisdall Park. The City worked closely with the developer and the project’s consultants to complete the project. This project symbolizes an important step in working towards the retention and relocation of trees, where it is feasible, rather than removing them in the development process. A continuing program for development that supports tree retention or relocation could help new development integrate better with the surrounding neighbourhood. This program could also provide a donor option for developers who can not meet the tree replacement requirements on their site because of limited lot size or development form.

Every year a number of outstanding heritage trees are threatened with removal because of lack of funds for arboricultural care. Because of their size, rarity or historical importance, these trees are an important part of their neighbourhoods. With contributions of services and money from the Tree Trust these significant trees could be retained.

3. TREE WALKS PROGRAM

The Tree Walks Brochures would help residents get to know their neighbourhood trees and provides a walk through local natural history. This existing Park Board program provides details and directions for informative and interesting walking tours of trees in Vancouver neighbourhoods. Funding for the Tree Walks Brochures could support this program which is underfunded, yet highly regarded by the public. An example of a walking tour is ‘A Self-Guided Tour of Vancouver Street Trees’ produced by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Applications for funding Tree Walk Brochures in neighbourhoods would be received from the Park Board and would be reviewed on a case by case basis.

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