News release - City of Barrie
On Wednesday night, City Council approved a new Ecological Offsetting Policy that will help protect, preserve, and enhance Barrie’s forests. The new policy allows the City to use money collected from the Tree Removal Permit process to plant more trees on city-owned land.
“This initiative is a groundbreaking step towards preserving our natural environment and enhancing our urban landscape,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall. “This program not only safeguards our local ecosystems but promotes sustainable development and will also encourage tree planting within the city. By reinvesting in ecological restoration, we are ensuring a more sustainable and resilient city for generations to come.”
The new Ecological Offsetting Policy provides an additional avenue to ensure that Barrie meets its environmental protection and beautification goals, including creating and restoring forest habitat.
The City’s policy establishes a $57,500 per hectare of woodland removal or $500 per tree replacement value fee to compensate for the removal of individual trees or woodland of more than a half-hectare for development purposes. If a landowner fails to obtain a tree removal permit, a woodlot tree removal compensation fee of $140,500 per hectare and $1,220 per tree will be charged. These funds will be used to plant an equivalent number of trees or woodland on city-owned land.
Council also approved a waterfront tree capital project to plant 1,000 trees along the waterfront over the next 10 years starting in 2024, funded from the ecological offsetting reserve. This project supports the City’s recently approved Waterfront Strategic Plan update.
To learn more about the Ecological Offsetting Policy visit barrie.ca/EcologicalOffsetting.
Banner image supplied - City of Barrie
