Requests to support tree-planting and maintenance efforts made during last month’s budget discussions paid dividends, as Woolwich council this week moved to include them in plans for 2023.

The group behind some of Woolwich’s most noticeable greening efforts wants to go even more visible this year, and it’s looking for financial support from the township, which is currently putting together its 2023 budget.

Trees for Woolwich will get $50,000 to help plant some 22,000 trees along the township’s rural roadways. It’s a plan dubbed “bring back the maples,” a reference to a provincial initiative in the late 19th century that paid farmers to plant trees along country roads. Many of those large trees that lined the routes are now gone, organization chair Inga Rinne told councillors meeting January 12 in a special budget session.

“Perhaps you recognize the loss of the large, old maples that used to line our roads. These trees are a legacy dating back to 1883 when the Ontario legislature subsidized municipalities to pay farmers 25 cents for every roadside tree they planted that survived for five years. The maple trees that lined our roads and that we’ve enjoyed were the result of the foresight and wisdom of both the farmers and the legislators over 100 years ago. We’ve called our project back bring back the maples to recognize that that foresight and wisdom needs to be renewed,” she said.

In looking for budget support, Rinne noted the project is in keeping with the township’s greening initiative, including plans to boost the tree canopy, and its commitment to tackling climate change.

“The goals of the 2018 Elmira green infrastructure report, one of which was to increase the canopy cover for the township. The canopy covering the township stands at about 14 per cent, and 30 per cent is considered ideal. While council supported the report, there was never a specific plan to get to the goal of a 30 per cent tree cover in Elmira. We’ve been working on it, but to support this program makes a very significant contribution to that tree cover and would be a tremendous boost to Woolwich’s environmental credentials,” she said.

Trees for Woolwich wants to plant 21,570 trees – a mix that will include sugar maples, red maples, bur oak, walnut and crab apple, among others –along the township’ rural roads by 2026, a rate of about 7,000 per year. All the work – installation, watering and initial pruning – will be carried out by the group in partnership with Wallenstein-based Earthscape – is expected to cost about $110,000 per year, with much of the budget coming from donations.

“We have 335 kilometres of rural roads in Woolwich. That’s available public land. We can build our own highly visible linear park and wildlife corridor, increase the canopy and the carbon capture,” said Rinne.

In preparation, a trial project was undertaken in 2022 that saw the planting of more than 300 trees along stretches of Floradale, Kramp and Lerch roads.

Also making a tree-related proposal at last week’s budget meeting was former councillor Mark Bauman, who called for a structured approach to pruning trees on township property, particularly along urban streets.

The St. Jacobs resident, who was heavily involved in groups such as the Township of Woolwich Environmental Enhancement Committee (TWEEC) during his 18 years on council, has been busy with tree-pruning efforts since his retirement from council in 2018.

“For the past four years, I’ve been working part-time helping out in the community, pruning trees in parks and along sidewalks and boulevards. I’ve probably pruned several thousand trees in Woolwich Township – I estimate that I’ve probably visited about 90 per cent of the trees that are on boulevards and in parks,” he told councillors.

“My proposal is to have a new budget line… that would proactively deal with pruning urban village trees. The initial budget amount could be used for staff time or for a contract position with an arborist. I would suggest this could be called the proactive urban pruning program or PUP, another one of the acronyms that might take off,” he said with a laugh.

“Regardless of how it’s done, staff or contract, there needs to be a continuity in the program. Proactive pruning of trees when they’re young and pruning more frequently has many benefits. It is much more cost effective. There’s less stress on the tree. It creates a much more attractive tree. The impacts on pedestrians and vehicles can pre-emptively be avoided,” he said of efforts to avoid having trees overhanging sidewalks and roadways.

While the maintenance efforts won’t be seeing a new budget line this year, the township will continue to provide support to Bauman’s efforts while working on a longer-term plan for regular care of trees on township property, as discussed Monday night.