Intent of the proposed bylaw changes

The Tree Protection Bylaw currently regulates tree protection on public lands and private lands in some circumstances, including lands located within an environmentally sensitive area (ESA) or Riparian Management Zones. Proposed updates to the bylaw relate to tree protection only and do not seek to make any changes to the boundaries of ESAs or the development permit area guidelines for ESAs found in the Official Community Plan.

If approved by Council, the proposed updates to the Tree Protection Bylaw would:

- apply everywhere in the City, specifically:

  • continue to protect any tree 10 centimetres (cm) in diameter or greater on developing properties or environmentally sensitive areas (ESA; this is unchanged);

  • protect any tree 30 cm in diameter or greater equally on all other properties, including on existing strata and single detached properties (this is new).

- continue to prioritize tree retention (except when removal is necessary for safety reasons or to mitigate infrastructure damage);

- continue to plant replacement trees for every bylaw-protected tree removed, but adjust the number of replacement trees required based on:

  • the replacement tree species’ canopy cover potential at maturity, i.e.: one replacement tree per tree removed if the replacement species is medium or large at maturity, or two if the replacement species is small at maturity;

  • the size of the tree removed, with trees with a 50 cm diameter or greater requiring twice as many replacement trees as other trees; and

  • flexibility to waive replacement requirements for properties that exceed the City’s canopy cover targets after tree removal.

- on construction sites, require property owners to pay a refundable tree protection security deposit for trees near site disturbance (to be refunded if tree(s) were protected adequately); and

- require property owners to pay permit fees to cover the bylaw’s administrative costs and adjust these based on the application type (i.e., lower for non-development applications).

If the bylaw updates are approved, they will also provide improved and clarified definitions and structure, align with current best practices, and standardize the information required with permit applications.

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