Thank you, Léo.
Trees play an essential role in creating positive outcomes in urban settings because they have a direct impact on the quality of life of Canadians. This includes from an environmental perspective. They help reduce the heat island effect; they manage stormwater by intercepting rainfall and reducing runoff; they prevent soil erosion; they offer food and shelter for birds and other wildlife; and if the right tree is planted in the right place, they can help slow wildfires.
Urban trees are also very good for the economy. They attract tourists because they offer recreational benefits. They provide employment in the forestry field. They also help individual homeowners, because they can reduce their heating and cooling costs, and properties with trees are generally valued higher in the real estate market.
Trees are also good for our health. They absorb particulates in the air, making it more breathable for people with respiratory illnesses. They motivate us to play outside, no matter what our level of income is. They help patients in hospitals heal because of the psychological impact on people's moods and emotions.
Those are just a few of the benefits, and as Canada continues to urbanize, trees in urban settings will increasingly rise in importance.
Unfortunately, tree canopies in cities are under a lot of pressure, and the burden to mitigate these pressures is placed squarely on the shoulders of municipalities. Many of these pressures are outlined in the Canadian urban forest strategy developed by the Canadian Urban Forest Network, of which Tree Canada is the secretariat. These pressures include climate change, which causes extreme weather events. These events can leave municipalities struggling to clean up and replant millions of dollars' worth of trees.
Lack of genetic diversity and monoculture practices leave our urban forests vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Examples of this are Dutch elm disease and the invasion of the emerald ash borer.
Development, even smart development, often means that woodlots get converted to either non-treed environments or single-tree environments.
Infrastructure issues, such as a lack of space below ground, mean that trees struggle to survive.
Lastly, of course, is resources. While the federal and provincial governments make contributions related to individual emergencies and perform some research, there has been a lack of a sustained long-term commitment to urban forest stewardship, which is why the announcement of the two billion trees initiative is so welcomed and so critical. With all these competing priorities, urban forests are not often at the top of the list for municipalities.
I'll turn it over now to my colleague, Dr. Adrina Bardekjian, our manager of urban forestry programs and research development.