Urban Forest Management Plan

An urban forest is made up of every tree in our city, including in our yards, streets, ravines and parks! Let’s care for and protect every tree in Vaughan.

Trees are an important resource. They are integral to the city's character and enhance the quality of life for our community. They provide oxygen; improve mental and physical health; provide shelter for insects, birds and other animals; and provide shelter and food for humans and animals, like fruits and nuts. They also cool the air, save water, reduce noise pollution, capture stormwater runoff and beautify the community. From a business perspective, the presence of trees has been known to strengthen a retail district’s competitive advantage by enhancing the customer’s experience.

The Urban Forest Management Plan: a first of its kind

The City of Vaughan is developing its first Urban Forest Management Plan, which will include:

• information on the current state of Vaughan’s urban forest.
• a long-term vision to manage the urban forest.
• goals, recommendations and targets to achieve the vision.
• a financial analysis to guide implementation.

As part of this plan, the City is also developing a Woodland Management Strategy to guide the management of all City-owned woodlands. The term woodland describes groupings of trees growing under natural forest conditions.

Get involved!

Engagement on this plan is now closed.

Two rounds of public engagement were planned to help inform the development of the Urban Forest Management Plan.

Phase 1 occurred from March to April 2023, and was designed to help inform the vision, principles and goals of this plan. We heard from nearly 500 survey respondents whose feedback will help inform the development of the final plan. Read the Phase 1 engagement summary (PDF).

Phase 2 occurred from May to June 2023, and was designed to gather feedback on the goals and strategies you hope to see prioritized in the final plan. Read the Phase 2 engagement summary (PDF).