Kincardine council has approved a new approach for preserving the tree canopy in the municipality, and working to mitigate invasive plant species.
During their meeting on May 8th, council passed a by-law aimed at preserving the tree canopy, removing invasive species, and ensuring that budgeting is complete to cover the cost of replacing felled or dead trees.
Councillor Mike Hinchberger is a member of the Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Ad-Hoc Committee, and explained to council, “We focus a lot on trees, but there’s a lot to be said here about natural vegetation and components of it related to dealing with invasive species as well.”
The new policy outlines noxious weed management and says that the Municipality of Kincardine is committed to implementing proactive measures to prevent the introduction, control the spread, and managed the eradication of designated noxious weeds, with a particular focus on Giant Hogweed (heracleum mategazzianum), Wild Parsnip (pastinaca sativa), and Purple Loosestrife (lythrum salicaria).
The document also includes a section regarding education and awareness, where the municipality will develop educational programs and campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of the tree canopy and natural vegetation. It specifies collaborating with schools, community organizations, and environmental groups, as well as engaging residents in tree planting and conservation initiatives.
“Some of them are the use of internal processes by staff to identify trees that have been lost for the purposes of planning and subsequent budgeting years for tree replacement.”
Hinchberger says that although the municipality has never done something like this before, it’s important to start somewhere.
“Nothing you can do for the first time is ever going to go out with a little bit of fear, a little bit of nervousness, a little bit of adjustment, and I look forward to learning as we go.”