Burlington City Council approves 2025 pilot subsidy program to protect mature trees
Last week, Burlington City Council approved a fixed-fee maintenance subsidy pilot program to help residents maintain their mature trees on their property. This one-year pilot will begin next year. The initiative will subsidize up to 50 per cent of tree-related maintenance costs for residents with a maximum of $1,000 per tree.
As part of this program, residents may qualify for reimbursement grants up to 50 per cent of their total project value to help reduce the burden of tree-related expenses during the 2025 year. Examples of eligible work include:
Pruning
Fertilization
Cable and bracing
Mulching
The City of Burlington received over 100 requests for mature tree removals on private property in 2023. A common reason property owners submit a request for a private tree removal is because of the high costs associated with maintaining their mature tree. This grant will help manage the costs associated with maintaining mature trees on private property.
The pilot program has been approved to operate beginning in early 2025, with a funding maximum of $25,000. This funding is being reallocated from the City’s current Green Initiatives Reserve Fund. The City will report back to Council in 2026 on the efficacy of the program.
Further details about the application process, including the application submission opening date will become available in early 2025.
My Take
As we continue to be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as being a Tree City of the World for the second year running, it’s important that City Council decisions continue to uphold the principles that earned us this designation. This allocation of funding will help make access to pruning, and other tree maintenance services more affordable for residents.
For further information about the City’s designation as a Tree City, read the City’s media release: Burlington recognized as a Tree City of the World for second year running.