Деревья в Неймано ежегодно экономят городу 13,7 млн долларов

Trees in Nanaimo save the city $13.7 million, according to a report Published 11:30 am Thursday, July 16, 2026 The total annual economic savings to the City of Nanaimo of all the trees in the municipality is approximately $13.7 million. Charlotte Davis, Nanaimo’s deputy director of parks and natural areas, explained to the city’s governance and priorities committee at its meeting on Monday, July 13 that this refers to the monetary cost of all the work and the services that the city’s trees are achieving in terms of climate resiliency that the city doesn’t have to do. “Our tree canopy cleans our air, mitigates our stormwater and it’s a sequester for carbon,” she said. “These are things that we are not having to do through man-made methods and infrastructure, and ($13.7 million) is the value if we were to have to do it ourselves.” Davis presented to the committee the findings of Nanaimo’s Urban Tree Canopy Assessment that was completed in May. The report found that Nanaimo’s tree canopy, which currently covers 39 per cent of the city’s 9,808 hectares of land, removes 366.6 tons of particulate matter from the air each year, and estimates that if the city had to that, it would cost approximately $5 million annually. As well, the report states that Nanaimo’s urban forest is currently storing more than 2.23 million tons of carbon in total, and that the trees absorb 31,519 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, with an estimated value of more than $5 million annually. The tree canopy also intercepts 277.8 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually, according to the report, which saves the city about $3.4 million per year in infrastructure costs. “There is some considerable value here, so it’s important that we continue to protect this natural resource,” Davis said. The Urban Tree Canopy Assessment outlines how the results of the report will support the city’s long-term urban forest management goals, and provides the municipality with a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of the extent, distribution, condition, and benefits of Nanaimo’s urban forest. The assessment analyzed canopy cover across all land ownership types, evaluated canopy change between 2016 and 2025, identified opportunities for planting and canopy protection, quantified ecosystem benefits, and examined conditions within riparian areas, schools, road-dedication areas, and city-owned lands. From 2016 to 2025, the report indicated that Nanaimo lost 269 hectares of tree canopy, largely from development and construction but also from windstorms, drought stress and age, but noted that, overall, the tree canopy has increased in that time period, partly do to new growth in city parks. Davis said the report found that there are more than 500 trees taller than 30 metres in the city. She said the city’s tallest tree, a Douglas fir standing more than 63 metres tall, is located in the Westwood Lake Park area. “Other locations which have tall trees include Linley Valley Park, and Colliery Dam Park,” she said. Coun. Hilary Eastmure asked Davis, on behalf of a local tree expert, if consideration can be given to installing native deciduous trees on the south side of east-west oriented streets in the city, and the west side of north-south ones. “The point of this is that it would ensure that leaves are present during hot summer months when shade is needed, but absent in winter when more sunlight and warmth are welcome for pedestrians,” she said. Davis said it’s a good idea. “I think that’s an interesting suggestion, and one I would like to discuss with the technical team,” she said.