Natural Asset Management Valuation Guide: Forest and Tree Assets
Natural assets, such as street trees and forests, are now being included in asset management plans across Ontario and Canada. However, because asset management planning was originally developed for grey infrastructure, incorporating living assets presents unique challenges. One key challenge has been how to value natural assets using similar methods used for grey/built infrastructure.
To address this knowledge gap, Asset Management Ontario, Credit Valley Conservation, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority collaborated with support from the Greenbelt Foundation to develop the Natural Asset Management Valuation Guide: Forest and Tree Assets. The Guide provides municipal and conservation authority asset managers with key concepts and practical steps for the valuation of forests, hedges and patches, and individual street and park tree assets. Recommended methods are also identified to support a more consistent and reliable approach to valuing natural assets that will ultimately enable long-term investment through asset management planning across Ontario.
