Forest Management Strategy

A decorative image showing a line drawing of downtown Kingston overlaid on a background of trees.

The City of Kingston is developing a Forest Management Strategy for its rural and urban forest and woodland areas. The new Forest Management Strategy will have a 20-year planning horizon that will include a strategic framework detailing policy, procedural, operational and regulatory program adjustments towards the achievement of a community-defined vision. The Forest Management Strategy will help achieve this by:

  • Establishing a community-supported vision for Kingston’s rural and urban forest,
  • Assessing the current state of the City’s rural and urban forest,
  • Summarizing community needs and aspirations, and
  • Developing a framework of goals, strategies, actions, indicators, and targets.

Public engagement will take place throughout April 2025 and will help shape the development of the Forest Management Strategy and learn more about the state of Kingston’s rural and urban forest.

A background review, including baseline forest assessments, is ongoing and will be completed in March 2025. Key findings from the background review will are available in the presentation below and the maps posted in the news feed. The findings will appear again in the Forest Management Strategy itself.


Project Stages

Visual representation of project stages from background review and baseline assessment to the final forest management strategy.

Background information

Kingston’s forests include all trees, forests, green space, soils and ecosystems located within the municipality’s boundary, including those in urban and rural areas, and on public and private land. Trees are important community assets because they provide many environmental, social and economic benefits. Some of these benefits include cooling air temperatures, cleaning air, offering high-quality recreational opportunities and providing habitat for biodiversity.

An infographic showing an urban forest along a scale from urban land uses to rural land uses. On the left side of the image is the St. Lawrence Rive, moving right ornamental trees appear, as it shifts into the urban core and campus, street trees and private trees , appear in the low density residential areas, riparian trees and trees in green infrastructure appear along with park tress in parks, continuing right through industrial land uses and into the natural heritage system trees on conservation authority property are shown along with woodlands and natural ecosystems, moving into the rural and agricultural areas on the right edge of the graphic trees, owned by the province, shelter beds and forest are shown.

Community workshops presentation

Between April 2 and 4 we hosted three facilitated workshops with interested and impacted parties including Indigenous community members, representatives from local community and neighbourhood groups, as well as industry, agency, developers and forestry services. The goal was to introduce the project and hear challenges and opportunities as part of the ongoing public engagement.

The presentation portion of the workshops featured a deep dive into what the Forest Management Strategy is and what the local Kingston context looks like. That presentation is available to view below. A report on what we learned during the workshop is available to read, as are detailed maps from the presentation.



Stay informed

Sign up for updates: Use the follow project feature to be added to our newsletter list. You'll receive news and updates as the project progresses and when new content is added to this site.


The City of Kingston is developing a Forest Management Strategy for its rural and urban forest and woodland areas. The new Forest Management Strategy will have a 20-year planning horizon that will include a strategic framework detailing policy, procedural, operational and regulatory program adjustments towards the achievement of a community-defined vision. The Forest Management Strategy will help achieve this by:

  • Establishing a community-supported vision for Kingston’s rural and urban forest,
  • Assessing the current state of the City’s rural and urban forest,
  • Summarizing community needs and aspirations, and
  • Developing a framework of goals, strategies, actions, indicators, and targets.

Public engagement will take place throughout April 2025 and will help shape the development of the Forest Management Strategy and learn more about the state of Kingston’s rural and urban forest.

A background review, including baseline forest assessments, is ongoing and will be completed in March 2025. Key findings from the background review will are available in the presentation below and the maps posted in the news feed. The findings will appear again in the Forest Management Strategy itself.


Project Stages

Visual representation of project stages from background review and baseline assessment to the final forest management strategy.

Background information

Kingston’s forests include all trees, forests, green space, soils and ecosystems located within the municipality’s boundary, including those in urban and rural areas, and on public and private land. Trees are important community assets because they provide many environmental, social and economic benefits. Some of these benefits include cooling air temperatures, cleaning air, offering high-quality recreational opportunities and providing habitat for biodiversity.

An infographic showing an urban forest along a scale from urban land uses to rural land uses. On the left side of the image is the St. Lawrence Rive, moving right ornamental trees appear, as it shifts into the urban core and campus, street trees and private trees , appear in the low density residential areas, riparian trees and trees in green infrastructure appear along with park tress in parks, continuing right through industrial land uses and into the natural heritage system trees on conservation authority property are shown along with woodlands and natural ecosystems, moving into the rural and agricultural areas on the right edge of the graphic trees, owned by the province, shelter beds and forest are shown.

Community workshops presentation

Between April 2 and 4 we hosted three facilitated workshops with interested and impacted parties including Indigenous community members, representatives from local community and neighbourhood groups, as well as industry, agency, developers and forestry services. The goal was to introduce the project and hear challenges and opportunities as part of the ongoing public engagement.

The presentation portion of the workshops featured a deep dive into what the Forest Management Strategy is and what the local Kingston context looks like. That presentation is available to view below. A report on what we learned during the workshop is available to read, as are detailed maps from the presentation.



Stay informed

Sign up for updates: Use the follow project feature to be added to our newsletter list. You'll receive news and updates as the project progresses and when new content is added to this site.


Kingston's forest in 2045

What does your vision for Kingston's forest look like in 20 years? What does a successful Forest Management Strategy include, and what is the impact is has had on Kingston by 2045?  Email getinvolvedkingston@cityofkingston.ca or call 613-546-0000 if you require assistance, an alternate format or accommodation to submit feedback.

Your story can take many formats and be in any style. Submitted stories will be visible on this site, please avoid using identifying personal information. 

Submissions close May 11, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

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Page last updated: 13 May 2025, 09:49 AM