New draft policy seeks to classify Cape Town as an urban forest

Tokai forest in Cape Town. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency(ANA)

Tokai forest in Cape Town. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Apr 12, 2022

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Cape Town - Parkscape, has called on those concerned about the City’s diminishing tree cover to make submissions for its draft Urban Forest policy that seeks to replace and update the Tree Management policy that has been in place since 2015.

Parkscape is a voluntary non-profit organisation with an environmental and community safety focus.

Mayco member for Community Services and Health, Patricia Van der Ross, said. “With ever-increasing urbanisation, it is important to find a balance between sustainable development, protection of the environment, and creating quality living and working environments.

“We recognised that the existing policy doesn’t adequately cover all these considerations, and that is why we are now calling on the public to give their inputs on the proposed amendments.”

Parkscape founder Nicky Schmidt said: “The City has finally woken up to the growing imbalance between increased urban development and urban greening – particularly as climate change takes a stronger hold.”

Van der Ross said the City believed this draft offered a more holistic approach to tree management, and supported the City’s efforts to have Cape Town classified as an urban forest.

“A lot of work has already gone into this project, including a tree mapping pilot project that was a first for South Africa. We are steadily making our way towards the 10% tree canopy cover that is required to qualify as an urban forest, and that is why it is important to ensure policies are in place that will promote this mission,” she said.

This policy aimed to grow the urban forest through new planting to maximise the benefits of trees and urban greening, protect the urban forest from threats and loss by preserving the city’s existing trees, manage and maintain the urban forest to ensure sustainability, hold stakeholder engagements and awareness campaigns, and ensure tree monitoring and valuation.

“Ensuring the urban forest is protected, maintained and critically enhanced is fundamental to the sustainable development and infrastructure of Cape Town as a ‘livable city’.

“It is worth remembering the critical role trees play in cooling urban environments, reducing pollution, sequestering carbon, providing healthy recreational spaces, increasing property values, reducing flood risks, and increasing biodiversity habitat,” Schmidt said.

Those interested in commenting on the draft policy are encouraged to do so before the end of the public participation period on April 30.

Draft Urban Forest Policy: https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Bylaws%20and%20policies/Draft_Urban_Forest_Policy.pdf

To comment: https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Have-your-say/Issues-open-for-public-comment

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