Parks And Environment Committee

Task Force to Bring Back the Don

January 16, 2008

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-9813.pdf

Trees

February 19, 2008

Shade audit: from the committee's Feb.19 "decision document", (see PE14.2, page 2): They recommend that ‘Pilot’ shade audits and shade plans be developed for priority playgrounds and waterplay facilities and that staff report back on the plans, including their capital and operating costs. The knowledge gained from the ‘pilot’ is to serve as a basis for conducting shade audits for the entire system of playgrounds and waterplay facilities.

...and that staff report back to the Parks and Environment Committee meeting, on June 11, 2008

There are no financial impacts resulting from the adoption of this report. Future financial implications may result from consultant or staff resources needed to conduct shade audits and future Capital work required to implement improvements to facilities.

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-10540.pdf http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-10539.pdf

February 11 2008

Actually to budget committee, to address Suzan Hall's request re looking after tree, another round-up by Richard Ubbens, with a chart giving puzzling budget numbers. http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2007/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-7187.pdf

January 30 2008:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/bu/bgrd/backgroundfile-10516.pdf Report from Director of Forestry Richard Ubbens, to provide a summary of information that has been previously presented in an effort to reduce the urban forestry tree maintenance backlog.

September 19 2007:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2007/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-7187.pdf identifies and summarizes information that has been presented to document Urban Forestry’s efforts towards improving key aspects of its service delivery over the past few years.

This report says that Toronto has experienced below average rainfall for 9 of the past 11 years.

September 26 2006:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2006/agendas/council/cc060925/edp6rpt/cl019.pdf the criteria and follow-up that governs how newly planted trees and shrubs are maintained and monitored to ensure their vitality and growth.

This report also gives quite a bit of detail about natural planting areas, and says that a three-person field crew for nine months costs $123,000.

P.7: An additional three crews are required to adequately maintain the increasing number of naturalization planting sites in Toronto as well as to maintain naturally regenerating forest sites through the ravines to ensure proper development of these forest areas. An increase of $369,000.00 to the forestry annual operating budget is required for this to be possible.

June 19 2007:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2007/pe/bgrd/backgroundfile-5161.pdf The Tree Advocacy Program and the Toronto Water Division capital budget also fund planting in parks, planting both B&B trees as well as smaller stock in naturalized areas. Note: In 2007 the Tree Advocacy Program Budget was $1.285 million and the Toronto Water tree planting budget was $1 million.

This report contains a Planting Partnership Program to put in 10,000 more trees, at a cost of $4.12 million fort the city.