Town of View Royal - Terms of Reference Project: Urban Forest Strategy (Project N-074)

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Town of View Royal is requesting proposals from qualified consulting firms to provide an Urban Forest Strategy (UFS). The objective of the UFS is to establish guidelines to preserve and enhance the urban forest through short to long term implementation plans and strategies.

A UFS is supported through several Town initiatives, including:

• The 2019-2022 Strategic Plan – Development of a UFS is included in the work plan as a goal in supporting community preparation for climate change impacts (Environmental Stewardship);
• The 2022 Community Climate Action Strategy – exploring opportunities to improve carbon sequestration actions including preservation of natural assets;
• The 2011 Official Community Plan Policy NE1.7 – Maintain a healthy urban forest by encouraging the retention of trees and ecological features, promoting tree coverage expansion and enhancing wildlife biodiversity;
• Tree Protection Bylaw 1069, 2022 – A bylaw to protect trees within the Town, identify protected trees (through size and species) and provide replacement requirements as a result of development and / or removal of dead, diseased or dying trees.

The Town’s urban forest is comprised of all trees found within the Town boundary including parks, greenspace and riparian areas, shorelines, streets and boulevards, agricultural lands, and private properties. The Town is also surrounded by neighbouring forest ecosystems such as Thetis Lake Park and Mount Work Park, Mill Hill Regional Park, and the Esquimalt Lagoon.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

The strategy will aim to provide a modern and practical long-term plan, supported through a series of programs and strategies to achieve and maintain a sustainable and resilient urban forest in View Royal. To do so, the body of work will include:

a) Understanding the history of the urban forest in View Royal; b) Monitoring and inventorying the tree canopy; c) Understanding how climate change, development and other factors contribute to tree loss within the context of View Royal; d) Developing urban forest guidelines to mitigate tree loss that are specific, measurable and time bound; e) Integrating the plan with other Town initiatives; f) Proposing changes to the Tree Protection Bylaw to improve protection to trees and to develop a methodology in calculating a dollar value and carbon sequestering of trees;

3.0 SCOPE

The consultant will be expected to perform the minimum tasks and provide the stated data and deliverables:

3.1 Background Research and Review

a) Engage with staff regarding the history of View Royal’s past and present urban forest management procedures; b) Review relevant Town documents including the Strategic Plan, Community Climate Action Strategy, Official Community Plan, Subdivision and Development Bylaw and Tree Protection Bylaw. c) Review the Capital Regional District’s Urban Land Cover Data to conduct a technical analysis of urban forest canopy coverage in View Royal, including but not limited to: * Classification Summary Report (2017/2019) – LiDAR Enhanced * 2019 Orthophoto * 1-hectare grids – forest proportions and impervious proportions * Canopy height model * Riparian potential model * Tree planting potential model * Tree points * Shoreline files * Contour elevations * Area of interest: 100m outside of View Royal boundaries d) Review other View Royal datasets such as past aerial imagery and regional Land Cover Data, as necessary;

3.2 Monitoring and Inventorying

a) Develop urban forest canopy coverage mapping in View Royal. Provide baseline information for the extent, composition, condition and age of the Town’s urban forest; b) Compare the most recent data with past data to confirm urban forest trends in View Royal: canopy cover expansion / contraction, changes in density, changes in species and the forest floor; c) Provide stratified data by land use: as defined in the OCP, Development Permit Areas, parks, trails, greenspaces, and the road right of way;

3.3 Baseline Conditions Analysis (The “Now”)

a) Conduct a technical analysis on the urban forest health within View Royal (establishment of a current forestry context within View Royal). Analysis to include but is not limited to percentage changes to canopy cover, density, and composition of species / species at risk; b) Provide a risk assessment of the current urban forest to determine potential reasons for any significant changes in urban forest health in View Royal; c) Map out forest corridors that will both currently and in future provide important biodiversity and habitat preservation, considering urban forest corridors of neighbouring municipalities; d) The analysis is to be conducted with a lens of climate change (temperature, rainwater, etc.), both current and future;

3.4 The Future of View Royal’s Urban Forest (The “Wow”)

a) Identify the environmental, social and economic benefits of protecting and enhancing the urban forest, including a lens of climate change (e.g., anticipated increase in temperatures, forest fire protection, and rainfall intensity); b) Through visual mapping, identify locations, both existing and new, in View Royal to create, enhance and/or protect the health, biodiversity and habitat of the Town’s urban forest; c) Identify modern, practical and generally accepted (BMP’s) approaches to achieving and maintaining a sustainable and resilient urban forest, within both public and private properties; d) Identify reasonable, tangible and measurable goals and objectives (short to long term) to help monitor, protect and enhance the urban forest for the future;

3.5 Development of Urban Forest Strategies (The “How”)

a) Develop a community vision, goals, objectives, and action items to aid in future budget decision making and to track progress in protecting and enhancing the urban forest; b) Recommend maintenance programs, based on stakeholder engagement and confirmed level of service, to achieve the future of View Royal’s urban forest; c) Recommend other programs and strategies that could be implemented in the short to long term to meet urban forest strategy goals and objectives; d) Identify relevant public and private grant programs that the Town could apply for to help fund initiatives and programs; e) Provide example short to mid term ‘report cards’ that the Town could utilize to measure progress; f) Recommend amendments to the Town’s Tree Protection Bylaw, Official Community Plan, Zoning Bylaw and Subdivision and Development Bylaws to meet the goals of the urban forest strategy; g) Identify modern means and methods in calculating the dollar value of trees, for the purposes of municipal ticketing; h) Identify modern means and methods in calculating the carbon sequestering potential of the urban forest for the purposes of reporting;

3.6 Engagement

Develop a stakeholder and public engagement plan to gather feedback at the early and finalization stages of the project. The plan is to include:

a) A community survey upon completion of the baseline conditions analysis, informing the public of the state of urban forestry in View Royal and to gauge the public’s interest in urban forestry; b) Stakeholder meeting with the Town’s Parks, Recreation and Environment Advisory Committee upon Council’s request; c) Staff workshop to inform the consultant of any changes in level of service that may be required to complete the goals and objectives of the urban forest strategy; d) An in-person engagement event to gather feedback during the draft urban forest strategy stage of the project: either a public open house, drop in event, or equivalent; e) Presentation of draft urban forest strategy to Council;

4.0 DELIVERABLES

The consultant will be responsible to work with View Royal staff, management, and meet regularly with Town departments identified by the Town. The consultant will also be required to lead all aspects of the project, including reporting at key milestones and maintenance of all documentation;

Consultant deliverables are to include but are not limited to the following:

a) Stakeholder and public engagement plan b) Baseline conditions report (see Section 3.3 for requirements) c) Community survey – including development and release of the survey and collation of results in a What We Heard Summary #1 d) Draft Urban Forest Strategy (see Section 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 for requirements) e) In person engagement event – including all materials and collation of results in What We Heard Summary #2 f) Presentation materials to Council; g) Final Urban Forest Strategy;