Urban forest management planning: A case study of municipalities in Southern Ontario

Abstract

This current study reviews urban forest management planning in Ontario through a sustainability lens. After clarifying key terms and concepts in the field of urban forestry, the paper moves towards an analysis of two urban forest management plans from municipalities in Ontario. This analysis was accomplished using a qualitative content analysis approach, where the content from two urban forest management plans was assessed against a framework that defines core principles of sustainable urban forest management. Key insights from this analysis are then identified and used to present a framework the Town of Lincoln can follow to develop an UFMP for their urban forest. The findings from this study found that municipalities have a strong desire to achieve sustainable urban forest management, but external challenges and internal limitations present barriers to achieve this.