Editor:
It is our understanding the City of New West is currently planning to review its tree bylaw, and we want to encourage them to retain the current level of protection that makes New Westminster a beautiful and healthy community.
We are the Wondrous Tree Fellowship, a grassroots community group in the Tri-Cities that advocates for, educates and celebrates nature. Our work engages hundreds of community members that recognize the importance of our urban forest. Our email today is to express our sincere gratitude to New Westminster council for the significant efforts they have taken to protect trees.
The city's urban forest management policy, strategy and climate plan are a model for other municipalities to follow. They are an inspiration for groups like ours who work within our communities to protect trees and rebuild our urban tree canopy for the benefit of all. We need look no further than New West to find best practices and thoughtful policy that supports natural solutions to the climate challenges and increasingly hot summers we face.
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TreeCanada.ca states that: “Urban forests benefit us socially, environmentally and economically." Trees provide important services to everyone in our community by sequestering carbon, cleaning our air, reducing flooding and erosion, providing habitat and food, and increasing the livability of the community. Trees reduce stress, are good for our mental health, reduce crime rates and violence, and their mere presence promotes physical activity, healing and social interaction.
New Westminster has become the poster city for urban forest renewal. The response at the Tri-Cities Urban Forestry Forum, held a month ago in Coquitlam to the excellent presentation given by New Westminster forestry staff, was overwhelmingly positive. Over 100 people attended and left the event feeling hopeful that our communities might follow your example and be more resilient to the future climate challenges we face.
The most beautiful cities in the world retain and value their trees, like New Westminster does.
Please keep the bylaw strong for future generations.
With gratitude,
Laura Dupont, Nancy Furness, James Bobick
Founding members of the Wondrous Tree Fellowship
