Street Tree Planting Application

- Toronto Atmospheric Fund

Ward 10 (North York Centre) and

Ward 12 (North York Seneca Heights)

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the Recommendation of the Budget Committee embodied in the following communication (May26,1999) from the City Clerk:

Recommendation:

The Budget Committee on May 25, 1999, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the report (May 3, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism.

The Budget Committee reports, for the information of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee and Council, having requested the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism to report back to the Economic Development and Parks Committee on the tree planting program or the lack thereof.

Background:

The Budget Committee had before it a report (May 3, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture and Tourism advising that the application to the Toronto Atmospheric Fund to obtain funds to offset the request in the Capital Budget has been declined; and recommending that the Department proceed with the implementation of the project as originally set out in the 1999 Capital Works Program.

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(Report dated May 3, 1999, addressed to the

Budget Committee from the Commissioner of Economic

Development, Culture and Tourism)

Purpose:

The approved Capital Works Program includes $50,000.00 to fund the planting of approximately 130 large caliper trees in the North Parks and Recreation District. Budget Committee directed staff to make application to the Toronto Atmospheric Fund to obtain funds to offset the request in the Capital Budget and to report back if the application was declined. For the information of Committee, the application to fund the planting was declined by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the Department proceed with the implementation of the project as originally set out in the 1999 Capital Works Program.

Comments:

Staff completed an application to the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and submitted the application January 28, 1999. At its meeting of March 23, 1999, the Board of Directors declined the application. Although one of Toronto Atmospheric Fund's goals is "Create and preserve urban green spaces that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere", the Fund only supports special tree planting initiatives that meet certain criteria, namely:

(1)strategic tree plantings that provide shade and/or wind breaks to buildings, thereby providing reductions in heating or cooling needs, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions;

(2)Community projects which include an education and an outreach component; many of the community tree-planting projects Toronto Atmospheric Fund supports are a doorway to more extensive climate change projects in communities which Toronto Atmospheric Fund has not been able to reach, such as communities in the former municipalities outside of the old Toronto, or certain ethnic communities;

(3)tree plantings in new parks, such as Round House Park and Greenwood Park; and

(4)tree plantings on school grounds, as part of Toronto Atmospheric Fund's Cool Schools Programs; the trees provide shade or wind breaks to the school, shade the playgrounds, or are part of an overall naturalization plan for the school grounds.

While it is unfortunate that this project was not deemed a special tree planting, department staff support the project as an improvement to the appearance of the area and the environmental benefits of tree planting.

Contact Name:

Don Smith, Senior Coordinator, Research and Grants, 392-8412.