[CANUFNET] Municipal Tree by-laws enforcement

[Whitton, Steve]

The Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw is only for private property trees.  This is our website, if you would like to check it out www.surrey.ca/treeprotection<http://www.surrey.ca/treeprotection>
Answers to your questions are below:

Private tree By-law

Does your by-law cover all trees or do you have a separate woodland by-law and other tree by-law?

In Surrey's tree bylaw a "protected tree" means:
(a)       any tree, including multi-stemmed trees, within the City, regardless of species, having a D.B.H. of 30 centimetres [11.8 inches] or more;

(b)       a replacement tree;

(c)       a tree planted or retained as a requirement of a subdivision application, development  permit,  development  variance  permit,  building  permit  or demolition permit;

(d)       a tree located within a high sensitivity area as identified on the "City of Surrey Environmentally Sensitive Areas Map" described in SCHEDULE "A";

(e)       a specimen quality tree;
(f)        a significant tree;
(g)       a tree with evidence of nesting or use by:


(i)                 raptors as defined in the Wildlife Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 488,
(ii)       osprey, or
(iii)      a heron colony;
(h)       the following tree species of any size:
(i)        Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii),
(ii)       Garry Oak (Quercus garryana),
(iii)      Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nutalii), (iv)      Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia),
(v)       Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens),
(vi)      Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides),
(vii)     Giant Redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum),
(viii)    Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba), and
(ix)      Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana).
1.
2.      How many permit requests do you receive per year for each type of by-law?
Private property tree bylaw only has one type of tree removal permit and there are over 600 permits issued per year whether for one tree or 500 trees, same permit.  But the permits are in association with homeowners wanting to remove trees on their lot, builders removing trees to build a home, developers removing stands of trees for subdivision, multi-family or commercial projects.
3.      Of the permit requests, how many actually result in permits being issued?
For home owner requests about 75% of the applications result in permits being issued.  Most other types listed above once applied for, will end up with permitted trees being removed.
4.      How many trees (and their size or range of sizes if applicable) per year do you allow to be removed without a permit? What issues does this pose for administration?
Any tree listed from the first question that is removed without a permit is subject to fines under the tree bylaw. All protected trees under the bylaw require a valid tree removal permit.  There are no trees allowed to be removed without permit unless they have fallen over in a storm.  The City of Surrey does about $100,000 in fines for removed trees without permits per year.  This takes up a lot of staff time that takes away from the other work we have to do.
5.      What is the minimum size tree protected by the tree by-law?
See the first question.


Steve Whitton
Tree and Landscape Manager
City of Surrey

Direct Phone: 604-591-4505
Tree and Landscape Section
Tree Hot Line:  604-591-4675
Fax:      604-591-2680
www.surrey.ca/treeprotection<http://www.surrey.ca/treeprotection>

From: Listar, Ivan [mailto:ilistar at London.ca]
Sent: June-30-15 10:19 AM
To: 'canufnet at list.web.net'; 'abardekjian at treecanada.ca'
Subject: [CANUFNET] Municipal Tree by-laws enforcement

Hi Adrina, I am not sure if I am using the most current Canufnet posting address so I am copying this to you as well. Hopefully you will post this request on Canufnet. Respondents can reply directly to me if they wish but this information may be useful to the larger Canufnet community.

The City of London is revising its current private and public tree by-laws. In support of the proposed measures and expected increase in administration and enforcement requirements I have been asked to quantify what staff resources other municipalities have to manage their by-laws. If you would please take a couple of minutes to provide the following information, it would be a great help.

Private tree By-law

  1.  Does your by-law cover all trees or do you have a separate woodland by-law and other tree by-law?
2.      How many permit requests do you receive per year for each type of by-law?
3.      Of the permit requests, how many actually result in permits being issued?
4.      How many trees (and their size or range of sizes if applicable) per year do you allow to be removed without a permit? What issues does this pose for administration?
5.      What is the minimum size tree protected by the tree by-law?

City Tree By-law
1.       Do you allow residents to plant trees on boulevards? If so under what conditions?
2.      How many requests for planting on boulevards do you get per year? How many of them result in permits being issued?

How many administrative, professional/technical and enforcement staff does your municipality have to manage these by-laws?

Thank you for taking the time to reply to this survey.

Ivan Listar, R.P.F.
Manager, Urban Forestry
Planning Services, Environmental and Parks Planning
383 Richmond Street, Suite 1102
London, Ontario N6A 4L9
Phone: 519-661-2500 Ext 4977
Fax: 519-963-1483
Email: ilistar at london.ca<mailto:ilistar at london.ca>

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