Here are open source points you can use in your submissions:
* The Lemay Forest is a high quality ecologically significant grade A-B river bottom forest, wetland and grassland habitat that supports biodiversity, watershed health and provides an ecological corridor for safe access and the movement of species.
* Preserving the Lemay Forest aligns with the goals in the 20-year Urban Forest Strategy and Winnipeg’s Climate Action Plan, which includes increasing Winnipeg’s urban canopy from 17% to 24% by 2065, which translates to planting 17,000 trees per year.
* Manitoba’s commitment to save 30% land and water by 2030. Every parcel of forest adds up.
* Winnipeg has signed the Montreal Pledge to commit to 15 concrete actions for Biodiversity: Item 3 – Conserve existing natural environments through protected areas and other effective and equitable measures, Item 9 – Contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures through ecosystem-based approaches, Item 11 – Prioritize nature-based solutions to protect against extreme weather events and hazards and to regulate air and water quality, Item 12 – Increase the amount of green and blue spaces and improve equitable access to them.
* City of Winnipeg’s 1 million tree challenge vs. approving destroying 9-14000 mature trees.
* Mature forests help absorb and mitigate excess water from more severe rain events caused by climate change in the low area of Lemay where pumping stations cannot keep pace.
* Physicians for the Environment advocate that mature forests and green space have enormous physical and mental health benefits.
* Mature trees increase property values.
* The Lemay Forest is contiguous with the city-owned Red River riparian forests.
* Lemay Forest is a nesting place for migratory birds, resident birds, birds of prey and the keystone species pileated woodpecker.
* Lemay Forest has the first recorded nesting site of the Red-Bellied Woodpecker in Manitoba. This nest was discovered in May 2018, and the bird, rare for Manitoba, has been coming back every year since (Bird Atlas MB).
* Winnipeg is already engaging in costly restoration of parking lots due to degradation of green space and urban trees.
* Winnipeg is below-average for greenspace compared to other Canadian cities – Stats Canada
* Loss of trees and impermeable surfaces are also causing sewer capacity restraints.
* The forest reduces/absorbs spring runoff, thereby helping to prevent basement flooding.
* Nature-based solutions such as protecting and expanding urban canopy and green space help to manage the effects of the climate crisis.
* City of Winnipeg has a poor track record for protecting riverside land.
* City of Winnipeg is in the process of creating the Master Greenspace and Natural Corridors Plan and Biodiversity Policy including acquisition of 1000 additional acres of park land.
* Winnipeg needs more green space and tree canopy to alleviate the urban heat island effect, especially in high density areas.
* Urban forests must be viewed as green infrastructure.
* Winnipeg lost more trees than it planted between 2013 and 2020, leading to a deficit of approximately 14,500 trees in that timeframe. Planting 1 new tree for every one lost by the city will not make up for that deficit.
* Any effort to preserve forests and greenspace is an investment in the future.