The trees and associated vegetation that we live around, including in parks, rights-of-way, boulevards, medians, facility grounds, and greenbelts, are collectively known as the urban forest. Like storm drains and sidewalks, the urban forest is an essential part of city infrastructure and provides meaningful, measurable benefits, like urban heat mitigation, energy savings, climate resilience, and much more.

Urban forests face unprecedented challenges in a warming environment with ever expanding development needs. New and introduced tree pests and diseases threaten the health and longevity of trees, and programs often face uncertainty when it comes to a consistent budget that meets the needs of the trees and the community.

To identify the challenges and priorities of the urban forest of Nanaimo, British Columbia, and to explore benefit maximization opportunities, the Urban Forest Benchmarking and Audit Study of 2022 evaluated the City’s urban forestry program with the goal of supporting human and ecosystem health and well-being. Fill out the form to download the full 67 page report. To only download the two page Executive Summary click here.

Evaluations and analyses included research deep-dives, City staff surveys, benchmarking research, and auditing systems. The findings from the Study provide the program’s baseline conditions and the guidance for updating the City’s 2010 Urban Forest Management Strategy and supporting studies.

Fill out the form to access the complete Community Forest Management Plan