Woodland Management Plan

The City of Niagara Falls Woodland Management Plan is a comprehensive management plan for all City owned or controlled woodlands.  This management plan lays out a road map that will ensure the long-term sustainability of City woodlands.

The Woodland Management Plan contains 34 City woodlands that were surveyed utilizing the provincial standard Ecological Land Classification (ELC) inventory system and field notes from volunteer data collectors from the Niagara Falls Nature Club.

A complete digital copy is available for download on this web page. Hard copies of the document available for review at City Hall, Municipal Works Department and all locations of the Niagara Falls Public Library.

Some of the major findings and recommendations of the Woodland Management Plan can be summarized as follows:

Encourage Appropriate Use

 Recreational use of woodlands is extensive and in many situations is negatively affecting the ecosystems.  More well planned trails and educational signage is needed to reduce negative ecological impacts while providing needed recreation.

Encourage Public Stewardship

Negative impacts caused by people were common in many woodlands.  Better physical protections must be established for many woodlands to ensure habitat is not lost by human activities.  These include ATVs, motorcycles, general encroachments and dumping.

Restore Damaged Areas

Ash trees are a dominant species in most City woodlands.  Many of these woodlands are showing the impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer insects.  Reforestation efforts will be needed to ensure the long-term existence of these woodlands.

Remove Invasive Species

Invasive species are negatively affecting woodlands in significant way.  Removal of invasive species needs to be a priority.

Provide Public Education

More effort is required in promoting education about good woodland stewardship. 

Acquire Land & Make Connections

1. Future woodlands being acquired through development processes will need to be managed. To assist with this, developers should be dedicating woodlands in a proper condition with management planning already completed.
2. City staff should actively pursue opportunities to acquire important woodlands outside the development process where linked to current woodlands owned by the City.

Learn about woodlands, parks, trails and more in 3 easy steps!

Start by visiting the Conservation view on Falls Viewer, the city’s official internet mapping service

1. Click on the layers you would like to view
2. Click on the area you would like to learn about
3. Click on the link provided in the information box where applicable

Documents

Download the Woodland Management Plan

1. Walker Park
2. Walker Greenspace
3. Theresa Park
4. Shriner's Creek Woodlot
5. Shriner's Creek South
6. Mount Carmel Park
7. NS&T Trail
8. Paddock Nature Park
9. Paisley Janvary-Pool Pathway
10. Glenview Park
11. Fernwood Woodlot
12. Edgewood Woodlot
13. Deerfield Park
14. Gustavus-Monro Park
15. John N. Allan Park
16. Charnwood Park
17. MacBain Park
18. Oakwood Drive Woodlot
19. Fireman's Park
20. Weaver Park
21. Fern Park
22. Crimson Park
23. Montrose Business Park Woodlot
24. Baden Powell Park
25. George Bukator Park
26. Willick Road Woodlot
27. Hunter's Drain
28. Patrick Cummings Memorial Sports Complex
29. Little Mississippi Drain
30. Willoughby Open Space
31. Carl Road Woodlot
32. Crowland Woods
33. Bowman's Woods West
34. Bowman's Woods East

Appendices

• Appendix A - Woodland Management Plan Inventory Map
• Appendix A - Map 2 through 6 - Diversity of Species (ZIP File - 30MB)
• Appendix A - Map 7 through 14 - Invasive Species (ZIP File - 8MB)
• Appendix A - Map 15 through 19 - Special Conditions (ZIP File 5MB)
• Appendix A - Map 20 through 33 - Disturbance Report (ZIP File 14MB)
• Appendix B - Priority Scoring
• Appendix C - ELC Data Cards (ZIP File - 10MB)

Questions and Comments

Municipal Works Department
Niagara Falls City Hall
4310 Queen Street
Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6X5
Phone: 905-356-7521 ext. 3335
Email: David Antonsen