Toronto’s Strategic Forest Management Plan was approved by City Council in February 2012 and included the adoption of a city-wide target of 40 per cent canopy cover.
Toronto’s urban forest includes all the trees within the city’s boundaries that provide a wide range of environmental, ecological, social, cultural and economic benefits. According to the 2018 Tree Canopy Study, Toronto has an estimated 28.4 per cent to 31 per cent canopy cover amounting to approximately 11.5 million trees that provide valuable ecosystem services to the people who live, work and play here.
The City has committed to sustaining and expanding the urban forest as described in Sustaining and Expanding the Urban Forest: Toronto’s Strategic Forest Management Plan 2012-2022. Developed in consultation with internal and external stakeholders, the Plan provides the direction necessary to achieve a healthy, sustainable urban forest. It includes the following six strategic goals:
Learn more about Toronto’s urban forest.