Death by a 1000 cuts. Is it possible to increase tree cover in Barrie?
The City of Barrie’s Draft Official Plan has set an unambitious goal of 20% forest cover by 2041. For reference, Toronto’s target is 40%. With land at a premium, growth on the rise, and trees being removed to accommodate that growth, are we even going to be able to replace what is being lost, much less increase our cover?
Planting trees is indisputably one of the more important actions we can take in the fight against climate change. The federal government has committed to planting billions of trees in the coming years. But will any of those trees be planted in urban centres like Barrie? Probably not.