Tree Management

There are approximately 30,000 trees in our parks and on other City owned properties that make up the City's urban forest. These trees include formal street trees, specimen trees in our parks, and the many natural treed areas throughout the City and park areas.

The City of Nelson is also known for its "Heritage Trees", found within the City's Downtown and Uphill neighbourhoods. These include ash, maple, oak, chestnut, and elm tree species. These "Heritage Trees" were planted along the streets in the 1920's and have reached maturity. There are approximately 480 such heritage trees in Nelson. These "Heritage Trees" can be found in the City's historic core. It must be recognized that many of these older boulevard and park trees are in a serious state of decline resulting from a combination of advanced age, construction/utility projects, past cultural practices (i.e. improper pruning), traffic and disease. The City of Nelson's Heritage Register also identifies the Western White Pine as an important tree for its environmental, aesthetic and cultural values, particularly through its reflection of the local natural environment, its contribution to the character of Nelson, and its use by First Nations peoples. Over the next two decades many of these trees, particularly those situated in the Downtown and Uphill neighbourhoods will need to be removed as they continue to decline and become hazardous.

A Tree Management Plan is required:

  • To plan for the protection and conservation of City trees
  • To manage the removal of the City's trees and
  • To plan for the renewal of the City's treed character

A comprehensive and proactive Tree Management Plan will ensure that the trees within the City are managed responsibly and according to best practices.

The City of Nelson has made many commitments over the years to care and preserve all trees on City property. The City of Nelson will strive to attain the goals of sustainable planning, planting, protection, maintenance and care of trees, urban forests, green space, and related resources for public benefit.

These goals include:

a. To develop a comprehensive, coordinated and proactive plan to manage the renewal of the City's aging street trees.

b. To create policies and bylaws to protect and preserve public trees, and to manage removals in a coordinated fashion when necessary.

c. All trees and treed areas on City property or property managed by the City are the responsibility of the City of Nelson Parks Department and are to be managed in a cost effective and environmentally sustainable manner.

d. The stewardship of our Urban forest should be integrated in the planning processes of all City departments, including new construction and private development.

e. Ensure the City's urban forest is managed in sustainable manner that reflects best arboriculture practices; projected climate change impacts and that recognizes the economic value of the urban forest and City street trees.

f. To create programs and policies that will inform, involve, and gain support from the public.

g. To improve safeguards for protecting the investments made in planting new trees through proper ongoing maintenance and coordinated planning with City departments.

h. To maintain and work towards increasing the tree canopy for the City of Nelson, and to maintain and work towards increasing the number of trees within the City of Nelson.

This plan identifies short term and future actions to achieve the goals identified in this plan.

To read the full plan follow this link:  FINAL Tree Master Plan.pdf [PDF - 411 KB]

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