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Urban Forest

​As a city in the heart of the prairies, trees are not naturally occurring. Through continuous education, care and dedicated management, Lethbridge has an urban forest we are very proud of.

Urban Forest Management Plan

The rececntly completed Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) outlines best practices, procedures and programs to effectively care for and manage the health of all Lethbridge's public trees and their growing environments. This includes all boulevard and park trees as well as trees located in utility right of ways and in natural areas like the river valley.   

The urban forest is a vital asset of our city which provides a wide range of important environmental, social and economic services. There are a number of challenges and threats to the health and sustainability of the urban forest, such as pests and disease, challenging growing conditions and conflicts with other infrastructure.

The UFMP considers the current health and state of the urban forest, current management practices, local land uses and best practices in comparable cities and environments to present strategies to address the challenges of managing urban trees.  

Click here to view the Urban Forest Management Plan Summary


Learn about the benefits of our Urban Forest

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 Lethbridge has an impressive tree canopy with 47,016 trees in parks and open spaces. Lethbridge parks and land developers have planted more than 3,500 public trees in the last 5 years!<br>Our Urban Forest
Lethbridge has an impressive tree canopy with 47,016 trees in parks and open spaces. Lethbridge parks and land developers have planted more than 3,500 public trees in the last 5 years!
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 The canopy cover (or shaded area) produced by our urban trees covers more than 7% of the city&#39;s total area. When Lethbridge&#39;s tree are fully leafed out, they provide approximately 1207 acres of shade. That&#39;s almost 915 football fields of shadeCanopy cover
The canopy cover (or shaded area) produced by our urban trees covers more than 7% of the city's total area. When Lethbridge's tree are fully leafed out, they provide approximately 1207 acres of shade. That's almost 915 football fields of shade
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 The Lethbridge urban forest is currently storing more than 140,000 tons of carbon (equivalent to the carbon produced by approximately 25,000 cars for a year). These trees remove and store an additional 215.9 tons of carbon from the air every year! Carbon Storage
The Lethbridge urban forest is currently storing more than 140,000 tons of carbon (equivalent to the carbon produced by approximately 25,000 cars for a year). These trees remove and store an additional 215.9 tons of carbon from the air every year!
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 Our public trees produce over 575 tons of oxygen every year. That&#39;s enough oxygen to sustain 1 human for 620,989 days or 1,701 years!Oxygen
Our public trees produce over 575 tons of oxygen every year. That's enough oxygen to sustain 1 human for 620,989 days or 1,701 years!
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 Trees in Lethbridge absorb over 16 million litres of water every year! That’s enough water to fill 5 Olympic sized swimming pools like the University of Lethbridge’s Max Bell Aquatic Centre. <br>Runoff
Trees in Lethbridge absorb over 16 million litres of water every year! That’s enough water to fill 5 Olympic sized swimming pools like the University of Lethbridge’s Max Bell Aquatic Centre.
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 More than 250 species of birds are spotted in Lethbridge every year! Our urban forest provides nesting habitat and food sources for many of them. <br>Common species include robins, blue jays, merlin falcons, house finch and even great horned owls. <br>Habitat
More than 250 species of birds are spotted in Lethbridge every year! Our urban forest provides nesting habitat and food sources for many of them.
Common species include robins, blue jays, merlin falcons, house finch and even great horned owls.
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 Trees keep us cool by providing shade, breathing carbon dioxide and soaking up water to produce oxygen and release water vapour into the environment. Planting trees around your home can help offset cooling costs and will shelter your home from the wind!<br>Buffer Effects of Trees
Trees keep us cool by providing shade, breathing carbon dioxide and soaking up water to produce oxygen and release water vapour into the environment. Planting trees around your home can help offset cooling costs and will shelter your home from the wind!
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 Fruit from trees in Lethbridge are free and available for the public to pick! Find a fruit tree using this awesome interactive map created by Environment Lethbridge.&nbsp; Fruit Trees
Fruit from trees in Lethbridge are free and available for the public to pick! Find a fruit tree using this awesome interactive map created by Environment Lethbridge. 

​> Interactive Fruit Tree Map

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 33% of our trees are elm or ash, the other 67% are a variety of coniferous and leafy species. A diverse urban forest is important for the health of our trees. Mixing up species on boulevards and in parks helps prevent disease and pests from spreading<br>Diversity
33% of our trees are elm or ash, the other 67% are a variety of coniferous and leafy species. A diverse urban forest is important for the health of our trees. Mixing up species on boulevards and in parks helps prevent disease and pests from spreading
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 Lethbridge is home to a handful of recognized heritage trees some are likely older than Lethbridge itself! Some are marked with special plaques nearby or attached to their bark like Ol’ Westie which is near the Westminster Community Pool parking lotHeritage Trees
Lethbridge is home to a handful of recognized heritage trees some are likely older than Lethbridge itself! Some are marked with special plaques nearby or attached to their bark like Ol’ Westie which is near the Westminster Community Pool parking lot
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Explore the Wildwood! 
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Lethbridge's Urban Forest is Diverse and Amazing!

​RankTop Ten Tree Species: Name
​Number of Public Trees
​1​Ash   (Fraxinus)​10,189
​2​Spruce  (Picea)​8,659
​3​Elm  (Ulmus)​5,736
​4​Poplar (Populus)​5,046
​5​Pine  (Pinus)​2,313
​6​Maple  (Acer)​2,281
​7​Crabapple  (Malus)​1,981
​8Cherry  (Prunus)1,935
​9​Linden  (Tilia)​1,821
​10​Oak  (Quercus)​1,154
​ - Other species​6,264
​​Total Public Trees​47,379

 


Other Forestry Links  

Dutch Elm Disease
European Elm Scale
Elm Trees General Information
Fruit Tree Map
Pest Management

 

For more information

Report a problem like graffiti or garbage
Online: Submit a service request
Phone: 311 or 403-320-3111 (if outside of Lethbridge)

 
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