Vernon To Add and Protect Trees

Peter McIntyre  Wednesday, 26 January 2011 10:33  107.5 KISSFM:
 Vernon staff say the city could use more trees--- and the elected reps agree.  Council has given initial support to new tree planting, protection and canopy programs.  One goal is to have tree cover of up to 20 percent in residential areas.  Mayor Wayne Lippert says trees beautify the city and are important to the environment.  "We know they contribute back into our environment as far as oxygen and taking out the carbon dioxide and helping clean the air.The other thing it does is help, when its warm outside, cool the temperatures down so less air conditioning is needed."  The program will look to increase the tree cover in the city centre to ten percent, and in residential areas to between 15 and 20 percent.  The staff report shows up to 30 percent of East Hill has tree cover, 3 to 8 percent in Mission Hill, while Middleton Mountain has almost no trees.  Lippert says residents can do their part.  "The bigger message is not only asking them to consider planting  more trees, the city certainly will, but to not cut any down and look after what we've got, because it takes a long time for a tree to mature." Councillor Shawn Lee says a project like that was tried in his hometown of Calgary.  "There's is a very generous program but they pick their neighborhoods, and I think if we did something like that here in Vernon I would think we would really want to target neighborhoods where canopy is low and try to encourage that kind of thing." One drawback to the plan is water rates which are poised to rise 20 percent.  City staff estimate it costs about 100 dollars a year to water and maintain a tree.