CommuniTREE Plan
The draft plan for managing the city’s urban forest, Penticton’s CommuniTREE Plan, is now ready for review.
The plan outlines four different scenarios, including a recommended scenario to show how canopy cover will likely change over the next 20 years in Penticton. Nine big moves have been identified to summarize the Action Plan and guide the development for each scenario. Now the City would like to hear from you about whether the draft plan aligns with what you envision as a framework for the City’s first Urban Forest Management Plan.
How can I participate?
- Review the draft plan
- Attend the Open House in Gyro Park on Saturday, June 15 from 9 am to 11 am
- Complete a comment sheet by June 28, 2024
UPDATE: The first round of engagement is now complete and results are being analyzed. Check out these follow up sessions to learn about the next phase.
Most of the data has been collected and the City is now working on the draft policies and plans. You can learn more about what we have learned at one of the Housing Talks events. You can also watch the online information session held on October 4 between 6 pm and 7:30 pm.
The City of Penticton is preparing an Urban Forest Management Plan - our Official CommuniTREE Plan. Through public engagement and best practices, the plan will establish a community vision for Penticton’s urban forest and set a course for achieving that vision over the next 20 years. It will also map Penticton’s urban forest to establish a baseline of information that can be used in future years to measure progress on implementation. The public will have opportunities to share their priorities for urban forest management during development of the plan.
Help map our Urban Forest
The community will be invited to participate throughout the development of the plan. Our first opportunity is to invite residents to help us map our urban forest as it is today. Go to the Map tool below and let us know where you value Penticton's urban forest and places where you would like to see it improved. We will be collecting your urban forest places until June 30. Register on this site and sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on this work as it progresses.
Building Industry Workshop
The building community was invited to participate in an industry-based online workshop held on June 22 to learn more about the City’s CommuniTREE Plan and share input to help develop management strategies and recommendations for Penticton’s urban forest.
Tree Planting and Education Event
A tree planting ceremony was held in Lackawanna Park on Saturday, Sept. 16 where staff attended to provide a community update on feedback to date and to discuss next steps.
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The draft plan for managing the City’s urban forest, Penticton’s CommuniTREE Plan, establishes a framework to reach the recommended canopy targets for the expansion and maintenance of our urban forest now and into the future.
The plan outlines four different scenarios, including a recommended scenario to show how canopy cover will likely change over the next 20 years in Penticton. Nine big moves have been identified to summarize the Action Plan and guide the development for each scenario. The plan proposes moving forward with Scenario 4: Green Future as the approach the City should take to increase the local canopy cover by up to 18% over the next 20 years. Now the City would like to hear from you about whether the draft plan aligns with what you envision as a framework for the City’s first Urban Forest Management Plan. Comments will be collected through to Friday, June 28, 2024.
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Review the Draft CommuniTREE Plan
Open House Display Boards
What is an urban forest?
What is the urban forest?
The City of Penticton’s urban forest includes every tree within the City boundary and the environments where each tree grows. Trees on City property in parks and streets are part of the urban forest, as are trees in yards, parking lots, and landscaping on private property. The urban forest extends from lake to lake, across the valley floor, and up into the hills to meet the City’s boundary, and is as diverse as the City’s landscape itself. To reach its highest potential, each tree needs soil, water, and air, along with space and time to grow. The urban forest is a living system that provides its greatest value to the City when these needs are met.
Why is it important?
Trees in cities have many benefits called ecosystem services. Penticton’s urban forest provides shade to streets and buildings, cools the air through transpiration, offers beauty and recreational opportunities, filters pollution from air and water, improves human health and wellbeing, and reduces erosion and flooding. The urban forest is a buffer between the homes and businesses and climate change impacts. The cooling benefits of trees reduce the urban heat island effect and can save lives during heat waves. Leaves and branches intercept heavy rainfalls while roots and healthy soils divert stormwater from basements and drainage pipes. Each tree also plays a role in holding back future climate change by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
What are the challenges?
The ability of the urban forest to provide these ecosystem services is affected by its condition and extent. In Penticton, trees are challenged by several factors. Climate change impacts, including increasing aridity, variable weather, and wildfire, are causing declines in tree and forest health as local trees are becoming less adapted. Development and construction on private and public property often require the removal of mature trees that conflict with new buildings and capital works. Invasive species from other parts of the world spread into natural areas and outcompete native trees, causing a loss of biodiversity and an increase in management and maintenance issues for the City and private property owners. The ability of the City to respond to these issues and others is limited by staff resources, incomplete or dated policies, and the lack of a community vision for Penticton’s urban forest.