[CANUFNET] Response: Public Tree Bylaw Inquiry

[Corkum-Gorrill, Jessika]

Many thanks, John!

From: CANUFNET [mailto:canufnet-bounces at list.web.net] On Behalf Of JPM TREE SERVICE tree via CANUFNET
Sent: March 19, 2021 5:47 PM
To: canufnet at list.web.net
Cc: JPM TREE SERVICE tree <tree6 at shaw.ca>
Subject: [CANUFNET] Response: Public Tree Bylaw Inquiry

Jessika,

Here is in BC’s Lower Mainland the minimum protected tree size is, overwhelmingly, DBH 20 cm (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 10 cm (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.

At the other end of the spectrum is the West Vancouver tree protection bylaw at 75 cm (30 “). Note, that arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) 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.

I particularly like the City of Burnaby bylaw which stipulates a 20 cm tree if there is a property development application; 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.

Hope that helps.

John Martyn, Consulting Arborist
JPM Tree Service
Abbotsford, BC

A watercourse can be:
                -Bourn - a small stream, especially one that flows intermittently or seasonally
                -Culvert - a tunnel that carries a stream under a road
                -Creek - a flow of water, often being a tributary of a river
                -Ditch - a narrow channel often used to drain roads and fields
                -Lake - a large body of water
                -Pond - a small body of still water
                -Ravine -a deep narrow valley with steep sides, generally having a slope grade 3:1 plus
                -River - a large, natural stream of water connecting to another river, lake, sea or other
                  body of water
                -Rivulet / Brook / Rill / Runnel - a very small stream
                -Spring - an aquifer to the earth’s surface
                -Stream - a small, narrow river
                -Torrent - a strong and fast-flowing stream of water
                -Wetland - saturated land; land consisting of marshes or swamps
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