The City of Langley is developing an Urban Forest Management Strategy (UFMS) to guide the long-term planning and management of Langley’s urban forest.
The City of Langley’s urban forest is comprised of forests in distinct natural areas surrounding the urban core, including forest parks, wetlands, as well as urban trees along streets, in parks, and in private yards. The urban forest provides important benefits to the community – it supports high levels of biodiversity, provides high-value recreation opportunities, improves air quality, manages stormwater, and beautifies neighbourhoods. Langley’s urban forest also plays a critical role in the culture of Host Nations (The q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), Máthxwi (Matsqui), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) and e’mya’me (Semiahmoo) First Nations) as well as the City’s character and identity.
However, the City’s urban forest is being put under increasing stress from the impacts of climate change such as drought, extreme weather, pests, and diseases. Moreover, the densification of the City’s compact urban fabric to accommodate a growing population is anticipated to present both opportunities and challenges in meeting the Official Community Plan’s policy to “expand and strengthen the existing tree canopy”.
To respond to these challenges and opportunities, the City of Langley is seeking to develop an UFMS that establishes a clear and long-term vision and guidance for the city-wide urban forest growth and management for the next 30 years (to 2050). The UFMS will provide short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations to shift urban forest management towards achieving the City’s strategic objectives and align with other relevant policies such as the Official Community Plan.
Project Timeline:
Public Engagement Opportunities - How Can I Participate?
There will be two phases of public engagement to inform the development of the UFMS. During the first phase of engagement in June 2023, we will seek your input to develop a community-supported vision and opportunities to improve how we plan, manage, protect, grow, and partner together to care for the urban forest. The second phase is scheduled to take place in the fall – winter 2023 and will focus on gathering feedback on the draft UFMS and priorities for implementation.
Take the online survey
Take the 15-minute survey and share your thoughts which will inform the vision, principles, goals, and targets presented in the Urban Forest Management Strategy. The survey will be open from June 8th to July 16th.
Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/36GD3FG
Submit an urban forest place
Submit places in Langley City on the interactive online map where you value the urban forest and places where you would like to see it being improved. You can also explore places submitted by others by clicking the pins on the map. We will be collecting your urban forest places from June 8th to July 16th.
Submit a place here: https://arcg.is/Gv4b8
**Please note that there will be a delay of up to two business days before the places submitted appear on the public map. This delay is to ensure that the information submitted is appropriate and meets the City of Langley’s privacy policy and terms of use.
Attend the pop-up event
Join us for the upcoming outdoor pop-up event to learn more about Langley’s urban forest, provide your input on what we need to address in the UFMS, and share places where you value the urban forest and places where you would like to see it being improved:
Pop-up Event #1: Community Day Festival, June 10th
Attend the online public open house
Attend the online public open house to learn more about Langley’s urban forest and get answers to your urban forest questions. The public open house will be hosted online using Zoom video conferencing.
Time: June 27th, 6 pm to 8 pm
Location: Online, via Zoom - Register today!