The Town of Saugeen Shores is preparing an Urban Tree Canopy Plan (UTCP) with the support of Williams & Associates Forestry Consulting. The UTCP will assess the Town’s current practices and overall tree health to better conserve and manage trees in the Urban Settlement Area Boundary. Specific objectives identified as part of this project, include:

• Review of relevant Town policies pertaining to trees;
• Assessment of the Town’s current public trees and utilizing scientific tools to estimate the proportion of tree canopy and available plantable space;
• Development of a Tree Cutting By-Law to protect and manage trees on private lands;
• Review of current tree maintenance procedures and recommendations;
• Review and implementation of Tree Planting programs; and
• Additional recommendations to further enhance and preserve trees in Saugeen Shores.

An important component of this project is to obtain community input regarding the tree canopy, how the Town is managing tree canopy, and what steps can be taken to improve overall management. This input will help shape the Urban Tree Canopy Plan to meet the needs of the community.