<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Jessika,</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 21px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Here is in BC’s Lower Mainland the minimum protected tree size is, overwhelmingly, DBH <b class="">20 cm</b> (8 “). There are of course SPEA’s, which is a whole different kettle of fish. You mentioned a road and they often have ditches and these can be considered “watercoures” so DFO rules may apply (see below for “watercourse"). In terms of minimum tree size, we do have two North Shore municipalities that are, as one city arborist stated to me, “a city in a forest which runs to Alaska.” These two cities have their protected tree status starting at <b class="">10 cm</b> (4 “). That’s basically a weed. That being said, many cities have - and rightly so - rare, unique or endangered trees listed in this tree size; so that’s fair enough. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 21px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">At the other end of the spectrum is the West Vancouver tree protection bylaw at <b class="">75 cm</b> (30 “). Note, that arbutus (<i class="">Arbutus menziesii</i>) is 20 cm, as it is Canada’s only native broad-leaved evergreen tree. So that’s fair enough. But given their very slow growth rate, I would have popped that down to 10 cm. Oh well. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 21px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">I particularly like the City of Burnaby bylaw which stipulates a 20 cm tree if there is a <i class="">property development application</i>; for instance, an apartment building construction. And for non-development applications i.e. you just want to get rid of some trees on your property, then it’s 30 cm for evergreen and 45 cm for deciduous. The idea being that the two equate for stormwater interception. I sort like that concept, and it’s the only municipality here that does that. I think that they are ahead of their time, although I would like to see those two numbers reduced a little lower, perhaps 10 and 20 respectively. Lastly, there is the City of Maple Ridge, an up and coming Vancouver suburban neighborhood. They too have the 20 cm, but go a step further to state that “significant trees” are 50 cm (urban and suburban), and 70 cm (rural). Hmm…not a bad idea. Incidentally, urban and suburban include “Urban Residential, Estate Suburban Residential, Suburban Residential, Urban Reserve, Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional. Rural is everything else. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 21px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Hope that helps.</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 21px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">John Martyn, Consulting Arborist</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">JPM Tree Service</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">Abbotsford, BC</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 21px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">A watercourse can be:</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Bourn</b> - a small <b class=""><i class="">stream,</i></b> especially one that flows intermittently or seasonally</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Culvert</b> - a tunnel that carries a <b class="">stream</b> <span style="text-decoration: underline" class="">under</span> a road </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Creek </b>- a flow of water, often being a tributary of a river</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Ditch</b> - a narrow channel often used to drain roads and fields</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><b class=""><i class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></i></b>-<b class="">Lake</b> - a large body of water</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Pond</b> - a small body of still water</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Ravine</b> -a deep narrow valley with steep sides, generally having a slope grade 3:1 plus</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">River </b>- a large, natural <b class=""><i class="">stream</i></b> of water connecting to another river, lake, sea or other <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> body of water</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Rivulet / Brook / Rill / Runnel</b> - a very small <b class=""><i class="">stream</i></b></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><b class=""><i class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></i></b>-<b class="">Spring</b> - an aquifer to the earth’s surface</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Stream</b> - a small, narrow <b class="">river</b></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Torrent</b> - a strong and fast-flowing <b class=""><i class="">stream</i></b> of water</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-<b class="">Wetland</b> - saturated land; land consisting of marshes or swamps</div></body></html>