What We Heard and What's Next

From April 24 to May 16, 2025, the County of Brant invited residents to share their thoughts on the Community Forest Strategy—a long-term plan to grow, protect, and care for the County’s trees and natural spaces.

A total of 192 residents responded through an online, print, or phone survey. Here’s a snapshot of what we heard:

Strong Support for the Strategy

• 87% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the vision of the Community Forest Strategy.
• 82% said they are interested or may be interested in participating in stewardship activities like tree planting or citizen science.

Tree Health Gets a Thumbs-Up, but Gaps Remain

• 71% believe the County’s trees are healthy, showing positive views of current maintenance efforts.
• Only 14% think enough trees are planted annually, and 73% feel there isn’t enough tree canopy in all areas—especially in new subdivisions.

Concerns About Development

Many residents are worried that development is costing the community too many trees and not enough is being done to replace them.

Common comments included:

• "We have lost so many trees to development!"
• "Developers should be required to plant a tree in front of every house they build."

Education and Awareness Matter

Many people told us they were unsure how to answer questions due to lack of information.

A significant number selected “neutral” when asked about how well the County is doing, suggesting a need for better public education and communication.

“You need to tell us more about what you already do. As far as I know, very little of this is happening.”

Community Priorities

When asked to rank top priorities, here’s what mattered most to residents:

• Protecting existing natural areas
• Planting more urban street trees
• Restoring forests and natural habitats
• Removing invasive species

Residents Want to Help

People want to be part of the solution:

• Ideas included school-led tree care programs, more community tree giveaways, and volunteer groups to monitor local forests.
• Others asked for incentives to plant and care for trees on private land.

What’s Next?

This feedback is helping shape how the County of Brant cares for trees and green spaces in the years to come. It also shows us we have work to do, not just in planting and protecting trees, but also in sharing what we’re doing and how residents can get involved.

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their voice! Your feedback is guiding a greener, healthier future for Brant.

The draft strategy will be presented to Council this fall. Once approved, the final strategy will be posted to this page. Be sure to subscribe for updates as they are available by adding your email to the Stay Informed box on this page and click ‘Subscribe'.