On April 15th, Council received a report for information on proposed updates to the Tree Protection Bylaw.  

Proposed changes for applicants with properties undergoing development include: 

• Prioritizing the retention of trees on the site including modification of proposed building envelopes and structures when possible to retain a bylaw sized tree, with emphasis on protecting large diameter trees (50 cm in diameter or greater), trees located in Environmentally Sensitive Areas, rare/slow-growing native species, and landmark/legacy trees; 
• Providing adjusted replacement requirements based on canopy cover potential at maturity, meaning that permit holders will need to plant more replacement trees if they choose replacement tree species that will be small at maturity, and cap replacements once a property exceeds the City’s canopy cover target; and 
• Paying a new refundable tree protection security deposit for trees retained on construction sites (this will be refunded after construction if the tree(s) were protected adequately). 

Proposed changes for applicants with properties within an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) include: 

• Providing adjusted replacement requirements based on canopy cover potential at maturity, meaning that permit holders will need to plant more replacement trees if they choose replacement tree species that will be small at maturity and cap replacements once a property exceeds the City’s canopy cover target; 
• Paying lower permit fees or refundable security deposits than properties undergoing development: 
• a $75 Tree Removal Permit fee (no permit fee for removing hazardous trees); and 
• a refundable security deposit (or cash-in-lieu if replacement trees cannot be planted on the property) of $370 per tree (reduction from current $740 per tree). 

Proposed changes for applicants with all other properties include: 

• Strata properties will no longer need a Tree Removal Permit to remove trees 10-29 cm in diameter, except within Environmentally Sensitive Areas, or for smaller, rare/slow-growing native species. 
• The General Manager may require a Tree Risk Assessment Report prepared by an Arborist to confirm that the tree is a hazard tree and/or a report by a Qualified Professional addressing risks; 
• Adjusting the replacement requirements based on canopy cover potential at maturity, meaning that permit holders will need to plant more replacement trees if they choose replacement tree species that will be small at maturity, and cap replacements once a property exceeds the City’s canopy cover target; and 
• Paying lower permit fees or refundable security deposits than developing properties: 
• a $75 permit fee (no permit fee for removing hazardous trees); and 
• a refundable security deposit (or cash-in-lieu if replacement trees cannot be planted on the property) of $370 per tree (reduction from the current $740 per tree). 

During the meeting, several amendments were made concerning capping tree replacement if there are large canopies (decreasing the replacement on site but taking cash-in-lieu instead), as well as blanket protection for trees larger than 50cm.  

More information can be found in the full report by City staff.