Let's Talk Trees
Comox’s urban forest helps keep our community and environment healthy and green. The Urban Forest Management Strategy will set a course for caring for the urban forest over the next 30 years. To develop the Strategy, we want to hear your concerns and priorities for urban forest management.
The Urban Forest Management Strategy will provide:
- A community-supported vision and action plan that reflects what we heard during public engagement.
- Baseline information on the state of Comox’s urban forest, including its extent, diversity, benefits, and needs.
- A set of goals, targets, and indicators to measure future progress on implementation.
How can I participate?
- Attend the public open houses
There will be two open houses. The first open house will focus on learning more about the urban forest and gathering questions from the community that will help shape the vision and direction of the Urban Forest Management Strategy. It will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM at the d’Esterre Seniors’ Centre. Drop by to speak with the project team!
The second open house will occur in the fall and provide an opportunity to learn about and give feedback on the draft Strategy.
- Submit an urban forest place
Submit places in the Town of Comox where you value the urban forest and places where you would like to see our urban forest improved. Explore other places submitted by clicking the pins on the map. We will collect your urban forest places until March 31, 2025.
- Complete the online survey
Share your thoughts on a vision for the Town’s urban forest, management guidelines, policy direction, how to prioritize locations for growing the urban forest (including right on your boulevard) and more.
- Subscribe for updates
Click the Follow+ button at the top left side of this project page to stay informed.
Project Background
The urban forest includes every tree in the Town of Comox, from riparian forests to trees in streets, yards, and playgrounds. The urban forest strengthens our community’s identity, biodiversity, resilience to climate change, and well-being. To ensure the urban forest reaches its potential, each tree needs soil, water, and air, along with space and time to grow. The urban forest is a living system that provides its greatest value to our community when these needs are met.
Trees in our communities provide many benefits called ecosystem services. Our urban forest provides shade to streets and buildings, cools the air through evapotranspiration, offers beauty and recreational opportunities, filters pollution from air and water, improves human health and well-being, and reduces erosion and flooding. The urban forest is a buffer between homes and businesses and climate change impacts. The cooling benefits of trees reduce the urban heat island effect and can save lives during heat waves. Leaves and branches intercept heavy rainfall while roots and healthy soils divert stormwater from basements and drainage pipes. Each tree also plays a role in holding back future climate change by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
The benefits of the urban forest depend on its health and extent.
In our community, trees face several challenges. Climate change impacts—such as droughts, storm and flood damage, wildfires, and sea level rise—threaten tree health and survival. Development and construction on both public and private land often lead to the removal of mature trees that conflict with new buildings and infrastructure projects. Sometimes trees in poor condition or in the wrong place can cause damage or safety hazards. The Town of Comox needs a plan to address challenges and enhance the urban forest, so it continues to benefit our community.
