Welcome to our new website!

Welcome to our new City of Niagara Falls website! Explore our updated pages, improved navigation, and new features designed to serve you better.

Please note that for approximately 24 hours, you may experience intermittent changes or minor glitches as the update is completed. By January 8, the website will be fully updated and operating smoothly.

If you encounter any issues after January 7, please report them by emailing service@niagarafalls.ca or by calling 905-356-7521.

Natural Woodland Conservation

Healthy natural areas are valuable assets for our community. The City is committed to preserving and managing our natural areas with a clear, sustainable plan. Join us in protecting these vital spaces!

Benefits of natural areas

  • Provide homes for plants and animals
  • Make oxygen and help clean the air and water
  • Stop soil from washing away
  • Soak up rain and snow to reduce flooding
  • Shade creeks and rivers, keeping them cool for fish and other aquatic life
  • Treed neighbourhoods help us feel calm, safe, and connected to our community. They also give us great places to walk and explore!

Explore our natural areas in three steps

  1. Visit the Environment view on Falls Viewer, the City’s online mapping tool
  2. Select the layers you want to explore
  3. Click an area to view details and access links for more information

How you can help

Here are some helpful tips on what you can do around woodlands.

  • Prevent encroachment. Do not use City owned land for your own purposes. Know your property lines and do not extend onto surrounding land.
  • Use environmentally friendly alternatives to pesticides and herbicides for your lawn and garden
  • Plant native, non-invasive species in your backyard. Native plants that provide seeds and fruit for birds are very beneficial. Non-native species can be invasive, spread into woodlots, and out-compete native plants.
  • If you must water your lawn, water in the morning and use an efficient sprinkler to minimize run-off and evaporation
  • Some immature natural areas can look messy until they have grown to become a mature woodland. Resist the urge to “tidy up” in wooded areas that are next to your yard, as you may disrupt the ecological succession.
  • Leave groundcover, logs and understorey vegetation alone in wooded areas, as these provide food and shelter for wildlife

  • Excavated fill from your yard should be taken to the landfill site or to a location where fill is needed, not dumped in the woodland area
  • Dispose of hazardous household waste at a waste depot because anything you dump on your property will eventually reach the groundwater supply
  • Drain your swimming pool water away from the natural areas
  • Place your compost bin in an appropriate location on your property. Do not dump it in natural areas. Grass clippings and other yard and household waste take a long time to decompose, smothering plants and destroying important habitats. The compost bin should be animal-proof; otherwise, raccoons, mice, and other wildlife will help themselves.

  • Please stay on marked trails
  • Refrain from walking on creek beds and banks or through wetland areas to avoid the disturbance of aquatic habitat, release of sediments in the watercourse, damage to vegetation and compaction of the soil
  • Leave wildflowers and everything else, for everyone to enjoy
  • Take only pictures, leave only footprints
  • Do not use ATVs in protected areas

  • Wild animals are an important part of nature, but you may not want them in your yard. Many are attracted to garbage, compost, and bird seed. Make sure to keep those stored properly.
  • Keep your dog on a leash and clean up after them. Do not allow your cat to roam because they may hunt wildlife.
  • Do not feed, touch, or get too close to wild animals 
  • For more tips, visit our Living with Wildlife page or check out the Government of Ontario's website on how to prevent conflicts with wildlfe

Woodland Management Plan

To request a copy or an accessible version of the Woodland Management Plan, contact 905-356-7521 to speak to a Landscape Architect.

City of Niagara Falls Woodland Management Plan

What’s in the plan?

City woodlands were carefully surveyed using the provincial Ecological Land Classification (ELC) system, along with data from the Niagara Falls Nature Club volunteers.

You can download the full Woodland Management Plan or review a hard copy at City Hall, the Municipal Works Department, or any Niagara Falls Public Library branch.

Key goals and actions

  1. Encourage appropriate use: Recreational activities can harm ecosystems. To minimize damage, we plan to add more well-designed trails and educational signs.
  2. Encourage public stewardship: Human activities like ATV’s, motorcycles, dumping, and encroachment are damaging habitats. We will strengthen physical protections to preserve these areas
  3. Restore damaged areas: Many woodlands suffered from Emerald Ash Borer infestations. Reforestation is essential to ensure the long-term existence of these woodlands.
  4. Remove invasive species: Invasive species are a serious threat. The City will prioritize the removal of invasive species.
  5. Provide public education: The City will promote education about good woodland stewardship
  6. Acquire and connect land:
    • Developers must dedicate and properly manage woodland areas during projects
    • The City will also seek opportunities to acquire key woodlands that connect to existing green spaces

Contact Us

City of Niagara Falls
4310 Queen Street
P.O. Box 1023
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6X5
Canada
905-356-7521
service@niagarafalls.ca