The second Tri-Cities Urban Forest Forum held on November 7, 2023 at Douglas College (Coquitlam Campus) brought together elected representatives, city managers, expert speakers, and concerned residents to discuss how to meet the urgent need for affordable housing while retaining the healthy urban forest we need to manage the affects of climate change. Event organizers, Burke Mountain Naturalists, Protect Coquitlam’s Urban Forest, and Wondrous Tree Fellowship expressed support for affordable housing while recognizing the need for livable, climate-resilient communities.

Speakers included Erin Gorby and Karin Johnson from the City of Coquitlam who gave updates on the City’s Urban Forest Management Strategy and Climate Action Plan, respectively. Dr. Andréanne Doyon, Director of SFU’s Resource & amp, Environmental Management Planning Program, shared frameworks for considering priorities, trade-offs, equity and justice in urban planning. She encouraged citizen involvement with a reminder that it is ultimately our responsibility to create the communities we want through consistent civic engagement. Isabel Gordon, director of financial services for the District of West Vancouver, explained how accounting for the services provided by forests, parks and waterways — in the same way we account for roads, pipes and recreation centers — can help communities hold on to their natural assets while densifying.

Brian Minter, Order of Canada recipient and prolific source of gardening tips, said community- wide plant care is needed as droughts become more frequent and severe. He recommended a variety of climate-adapted tree species — but cautioned that low-seedling stock and the short average lifespan of urban trees (only four to eight years) makes retaining and maintaining the health of existing mature trees more important than ever. 

The expert speakers at the second Tri-Cities Urban Forest Forum made it clear there are no easy answers to how we manage unprecedented regional growth while retaining the trees, plants and natural services that make our communities beautiful and resilient.