Item - 2025.IE21.5

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director of Environment, Climate and Forestry (or designate) to negotiate and enter into agreements, including funding agreements, to support the implementation of the Tree Planting Strategy recommendations, each in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the Executive Director of Environment, Climate and Forestry (or designate) to collect the necessary personal information from participants to enable improved administration of the Grants and Incentives Program, including promotion, programming, and monitoring.

3. City Council authorize the Executive Director of Environment, Climate and Forestry (or designate) to apply for funding through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Growing Canada's Community Canopies initiative directly or in partnership with external organizations to the available limit for tree planting within the jurisdictional boundaries of Toronto.

In 2021, Toronto City Council adopted a tree canopy cover target of 40 percent by 2050 and approved a Tree Planting Strategy to achieve this target. According to the 2018 Tree Canopy Study, the city of Toronto has an average canopy cover of 28.4-31 percent. The canopy study also recognized that 55 percent of the city's land area is privately owned, providing significant potential to expand and improve equitable distribution of the urban forest.

As directed by the Tree Planting Strategy, the City's Urban Forestry Grants and Incentives Program was developed. This program focuses on increasing tree planting and stewardship activities on private land through funding partnerships with residents, landowners, and eligible organizations and institutions. This program provides Toronto residents equitable access to native trees and shrubs and the numerous benefits they provide. To administer this program, staff are required to collect information from residents engaging with urban forestry grants and incentives to organize events, inform proper distribution of plant material, determine eligibility, track survivability, improve monitoring, and expand tree planting on private lands. 

The purpose of this report is to renew City Council authority for the continuation of the Grants and Incentives Program and enable staff to collect the necessary data that will help advance the City's strategic priorities to invest in people and neighbourhoods, tackle climate change, and build resilience. This report also requests City Council acknowledgement that the Environment, Climate and Forestry division has supported applications for funding opportunities from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Growing Canada's Community Canopies initiative for tree planting in Toronto. If approved for funding, projects will support planting of 200 additional caliper trees in 2025 and support the City's commitment to achieve a healthy, sustainable urban forest with a canopy cover of 40 percent by 2050.