Long-term plan for Burlington’s woodlots needs input from local residents

The City of Burlington wants to hear from local residents as they embark on a journey to establish a long-term plan for local woodlands.

The Woodland Management Strategy (WMS) will, for the first time, provide a comprehensive, 20-year strategic direction for the management of all City-owned woodlands. These woodlands cover more than 300 hectares of land.

Ultimately, the WMS will help preserve and grow the city’s woodlands and will provide:

• information on the current state of Burlington’s woodlands
• a long-term vision for the City’s woodlands
• city-wide woodland management goals, funding requirements, recommendations, and targets
• forest management plans are operational documents guiding management activities for specific woodlands within the bounds of the WMS

“The City of Burlington owns and is responsible for the management of more than 300 hectares of woodlands,” said Steve Robinson, manager of Forestry.

“This Woodland Management Strategy will, for the first time, deliver a coordinated 20-year strategy and supporting management plans for individual woodlands. The strategy will offer the comprehensive direction necessary to properly inform management of woodland health and diversity, risk, resilience, and sustainable practices.”

There are multiple opportunities for people and professionals to provide input into the plan.

Visit the dedicated webpage to submit an area you value in Burlington’s public woodlands, or places where you would like improvements to be made within woodlands. Residents can upload comments and photos and see what others have posted. The City will be collecting urban woodland locations until Sept. 29.

A virtual online public meeting is being held Sept. 14, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. to learn more about the state of Burlington’s woodlands. The public information centre will be hosted via Zoom and pre-registration at is required.

On Sept. 17 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., the City and WMS project team will be leading a walk through Tansley Woods, starting at the rear of the Tansley Woods Recreation Centre parking lot, 1996 Itabashi Way.

This walk offers a chance to learn about the current challenges that the City is facing in the management of its woodlands. Participants can also ask your questions about the woodlot management strategy. RSVP your attendance here.