San Francisco Public Works’ Post

📢 GRANTS FOR FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS TO PLANT TREES Calling all farmers and landowners – could you be part of the project to plant a community forest in Derbyshire? Grants are available for farmers and other landowners along the eastern and southern fringes of Derbyshire with space available to plant trees as part of the county’s Heartwood Community Forest. Derbyshire County Council is leading the project to create the community forest funded by the England’s Community Forests Trees for Climate fund. The fund, which is part of the Government’s Nature for Climate programme, offers one of the most competitive grant schemes for tree planting available today. Grants can be used to support a range of different woodland options from small-scale tree planting and low-density tree planting to large multi-use woodlands extending more than 5ha. Landowners can apply for grant funding to cover the cost of: · Tree planting to create new woodland · associated infrastructure such as fencing and gates · on-going maintenance to ensure new woodlands thrive. They will also receive expert and impartial advice and support from the county council to guide them through planning, funding and planting. To apply: https://lnkd.in/dWrwi6kg Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest is one of 15 England’s Community Forests which are located in and around large towns and cities, providing urban, economic and social regeneration, championing green infrastructure and creating high-quality environments for millions of people. Trees will be planted on pockets of available land stretching over a geographic area of approximately 289 square miles within communities along the eastern border of the county and areas in the south of the county including: · Amber Valley - Alfreton, Somercotes, Heanor, Ripley, Codnor. · North East Derbyshire – Aston, Clay Cross, Dronfield, Eckington and Killamarsh, Sutton, Wingerworth, Shirland. · Bolsover – Barlborough, Clowne, Bolsover, Shirebrook, Pleasley, South Normanton, Pinxton, Tibshelf, Glapwell. · Chesterfield - Birdholme, Boythorpe, Brampton, Brimington, Chesterfield, Loundsley Green and Newbold, Staveley, Whittington. · Erewash - Breadsall, West Hallam, Breaston, Horsley, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Sandiacre. · South Derbyshire - Etwall and Repton, Hilton, Melbourne, Sawley. · Derby. The project aims to plant 300,000 trees on publicly accessible land by March 2025, supporting the county council’s ambition to help facilitate the planting of a million trees by 2030. The community forest will be established in three phases with the third phase centred around establishing a new Community Forest Charitable Trust from April 2025 onwards to manage and maintain it in the future. #Derbyshire #trees #sustainability #climatechange

A Call for Village Conservation Communities (VCC) - A Substantive #Conservation Approach to Real Estate #Development: https://j.mp/3l7hGJc What can be done to preserve a dwindling number of "forest enclaves" around cities like Atlanta? What we need is a substantive conservation approach to real estate development, a way forward to develop land that is competitive financially with conventional development, preserves the majority of our forested areas, re-integrates urban farms and brings people together around a renewed connection to the land with nature and farm based activities. Clustering the development into walkable villages and hamlets while preserving the majority of the green space on site and connecting to adjacent preserved green spaces. This development approach is called a "Village Conservation Community" (VCC). An age-old traditional approach to development that was the norm prior to the advent of the automobile and suburban development. Village Habitat Design has been planning and promoting this type of development since the organization built a first village conservation community - East Lake Commons - 20 years ago. VCCs are not only good for existing neighborhoods, future residents and developers, but they also create tremendous resilience and hope in a world facing uncertainty regarding climate change, loss of bio-diversity, pandemics and social dis-connectedness. This model can protect nature, provide urban farms ,food and energy resilience, reduce stress on infrastructure, improve health through walking and connection to nature and help incubate small neighborhood businesses. #realestate #sustainability #communities #sustainabledevelopment #development #sustainablecommunities #farms #farming #agriculture #walkability #greenbuilding #Atlanta #Georgia

A Call for Village Conservation Communities (VCC) - A Substantive #Conservation Approach to Real Estate #Development: https://j.mp/3l7hGJc What can be done to preserve a dwindling number of "forest enclaves" around cities like Atlanta? What we need is a substantive conservation approach to real estate development, a way forward to develop land that is competitive financially with conventional development, preserves the majority of our forested areas, re-integrates urban farms and brings people together around a renewed connection to the land with nature and farm based activities. Clustering the development into walkable villages and hamlets while preserving the majority of the green space on site and connecting to adjacent preserved green spaces. This development approach is called a "Village Conservation Community" (VCC). An age-old traditional approach to development that was the norm prior to the advent of the automobile and suburban development. Village Habitat Design has been planning and promoting this type of development since the organization built a first village conservation community - East Lake Commons - 20 years ago. VCCs are not only good for existing neighborhoods, future residents and developers, but they also create tremendous resilience and hope in a world facing uncertainty regarding climate change, loss of bio-diversity, pandemics and social dis-connectedness. This model can protect nature, provide urban farms ,food and energy resilience, reduce stress on infrastructure, improve health through walking and connection to nature and help incubate small neighborhood businesses. #realestate #sustainability #communities #sustainabledevelopment #development #sustainablecommunities #farms #farming #agriculture #walkability #greenbuilding #Atlanta #Georgia

If this truly is the impact of how the bill will be enacted, then B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, respectfully, that is... incomprehensible. Decades of work, millions if not billions of dollars, countless grass roots and high level non profits and community organizations, and entire careers have gone into protecting urban tree canopies, tree retention policies, and educating the public on why urban trees are vital to social and environmental well-being; not just economic benefits. The fight to protect urban trees has held steady for years. Unfortunately, continues to this day, and legislation like this will ONLY cement the war against our biodiversity and urban canopy; if not offer the ultimate solution on a silver platter to Developers. You mean to tell me that the M.O.H. is proposing housing legislation to overrule the protection of urban trees; in order to railroad in a housing bill that gives a historically poorly managed/self regulated + relatively undeserving group (Developers) a blank check with land use? Insane. The "Unduly Restrict" opt-out is a neat little trick, but we see right through it. It's an exit clause, a get-out-of-jail free card,... nothing more. Have you checked in with your fellow Ministers to consider the impact of this? George Heyman Bruce Ralston, KC and Nathan Cullen could give you some advice on why this is a bad thing. "In a nutshell, the new legislation takes aim at single family zoning. It overrides the ability of municipalities to decide what type of housing is built on the majority of residential land in the province, upending years of community planning informed by public consultations. In a one-size-fits-all approach to a housing crisis decades in the making, the legislation automatically permits construction of three to six residential units... It severely restricts or eliminates all public hearings, tilting the scales in favour of real estate developers. It makes it far more challenging, and perhaps impossible, for municipal councils to protect Garry oaks, or any other trees, wetlands or ecosystems — much less ask developers to alter construction plans to safeguard urban tree canopies and wildlife. “Every project has to respect the pieces of legislation that are in place to protect the environment,” Kahlon tells The Narwhal. But B.C. lacks legislation to protect or enhance urban tree canopies. It also has no stand-alone legislation to protect species or ecosystems at risk of extinction. And even though Bill 44 doesn’t remove local environmental protections such as tree by-laws, the new legislation says municipal rules can’t “unduly restrict” density — a phrase open to interpretation, which observers fear will allow new development to trump efforts to preserve urban trees, forests and greenways, even as the climate crisis deepens." Read via The Narwhal: https://bit.ly/3SPbBDJ

Interesting read

We need more trees and shrubs in our cities and towns, not just to increase canopy cover but to replace those we are losing. And since more than half of urban land is privately owned, it’s not just up to municipalities to make this happen. Homeowners and anyone else with access to land can – and should – contribute to growing and being stewards of the urban forest. https://lnkd.in/gGGnsSqj

Local Governments taking the lead to protect mature trees on private land 🌲Urban areas of Westen Australia losing trees on private land faster than they can be replaced 🌲New WALGA model to provide consistency on tree retention policy for decision-makers, proponents and communities 🌲Model gives a clear definition of a mature or ‘regulated tree’ 🌲Perth has the lowest tree canopy cover of any Australian capital city, at just 16% WALGA has released a new Model Local Planning Policy (LPP) to support Local Governments to stem the loss in tree canopy cover in urban areas across Western Australia. Councils can adopt the Model Local Planning Policy (LPP) Tree Retention, which will clarify whether tree removal (or other tree damaging activity) is works that requires development approval. WALGA State President Karen Chappel reinforced the important role the new model policy will play in stemming the loss in tree canopy cover. “Local Governments have been at the forefront in addressing the loss in canopy cover through tree planting on verges, parks and other public areas, with support from the State Government through the Urban Greening Grant Program. “But planting new trees is not enough to stem the loss in canopy cover. We need to do more to preserve our existing mature trees. “The policy will provide a high level of protection for the most significant of our canopy trees, removing the need for Councils to get approval from the State Government on planning processes.” The LPP aims to provide a consistent approach to preserve trees at all stages of the planning and development process, including strategic planning proposals and subdivision applications, as well as development applications. The model LPP defines the term ‘regulated tree’ being a living tree that: 🌲Is 8 metres or more high; and/or 🌲Has an average canopy diameter of at least 6 metres; and/or 🌲Has a trunk circumference of at least 1.5 metres, measured 1.4 metres above the ground; and 🌲Is of a species that is not included on State or local area weed register. “If a Council chooses to use this model it will make decision making on preserving mature trees more consistent and effective.” Find the policy here: https://ow.ly/Em9Z50QMfhS

Excellent news ✅🌳✅ We know many communities and their Local Governments are keen to implement this Model Local Planning Policy and regulate the removal of large trees on private land. This is a critical step in addressing our Canopy Crisis. #CanopyCrisis #treeprotection #urbanforest #liveablecities #healthycities #resilientcities #urbanheatisland #WATCA #WALGA #communityvoices

A Call for Village Conservation Communities (VCC) - A Substantive #Conservation Approach to Real Estate #Development: https://j.mp/3l7hGJc What can be done to preserve a dwindling number of "forest enclaves" around cities like Atlanta? What we need is a substantive conservation approach to real estate development, a way forward to develop land that is competitive financially with conventional development, preserves the majority of our forested areas, re-integrates urban farms and brings people together around a renewed connection to the land with nature and farm based activities. Clustering the development into walkable villages and hamlets while preserving the majority of the green space on site and connecting to adjacent preserved green spaces. This development approach is called a "Village Conservation Community" (VCC). An age-old traditional approach to development that was the norm prior to the advent of the automobile and suburban development. Village Habitat Design has been planning and promoting this type of development since the organization built a first village conservation community - East Lake Commons - 20 years ago. VCCs are not only good for existing neighborhoods, future residents and developers, but they also create tremendous resilience and hope in a world facing uncertainty regarding climate change, loss of bio-diversity, pandemics and social dis-connectedness. This model can protect nature, provide urban farms ,food and energy resilience, reduce stress on infrastructure, improve health through walking and connection to nature and help incubate small neighborhood businesses. #realestate #sustainability #communities #sustainabledevelopment #development #sustainablecommunities #farms #farming #agriculture #walkability #greenbuilding #Atlanta #Georgia

A Call for Village Conservation Communities (VCC) - A Substantive #Conservation Approach to Real Estate #Development: https://j.mp/3l7hGJc What can be done to preserve a dwindling number of "forest enclaves" around cities like Atlanta? What we need is a substantive conservation approach to real estate development, a way forward to develop land that is competitive financially with conventional development, preserves the majority of our forested areas, re-integrates urban farms and brings people together around a renewed connection to the land with nature and farm based activities. Clustering the development into walkable villages and hamlets while preserving the majority of the green space on site and connecting to adjacent preserved green spaces. This development approach is called a "Village Conservation Community" (VCC). An age-old traditional approach to development that was the norm prior to the advent of the automobile and suburban development. Village Habitat Design has been planning and promoting this type of development since the organization built a first village conservation community - East Lake Commons - 20 years ago. VCCs are not only good for existing neighborhoods, future residents and developers, but they also create tremendous resilience and hope in a world facing uncertainty regarding climate change, loss of bio-diversity, pandemics and social dis-connectedness. This model can protect nature, provide urban farms ,food and energy resilience, reduce stress on infrastructure, improve health through walking and connection to nature and help incubate small neighborhood businesses. #realestate #sustainability #communities #sustainabledevelopment #development #sustainablecommunities #farms #farming #agriculture #walkability #greenbuilding #Atlanta #Georgia