District of Saanich

Urban Forest Strategy

The District of Saanich sought an update to its first Urban Forest Strategy, adopted in October 2010, to address the strain on the community’s forest resources through increased development pressures, urbanization, and challenges associated with climate change. Diamond Head was tasked with reviewing the existing Strategy and preparing a new Strategy focusing on the long-term sustainability of the District’s urban forest for the next 50 years, accompanied by a detailed 10-year implementation plan.  

The strategy was completed in four phases. In the first phase, Diamond Head reviewed and analyzed existing policies and guiding documents and provided a State of the Urban Forest Report and Sustainable Urban Forest Criteria and Indicators report based on data gathered from SWOT/Gap analyses, literature reviews and staff interviews. In the second phase, Diamond Head staff conducted comprehensive engagement sessions with various stakeholders in the community, including the public, council members and District staff. After completing an analysis of canopy cover, field plots, tree equity and tree condition in the third phase, our team prepared the final Urban Forest Strategy document to set priorities, provide recommendations and summarize our findings through the different stages of the project.