The City of North Vancouver has introduced a new bylaw to help strengthen urban forest and increase tree canopy cover.
The Bylaw will regulate management of trees on private property in multi-family residential, commercial, civic, industrial, and mixed employment areas in the City. The City’s Tree Bylaw was adopted by Council in March 2022.
Key points in the bylaw include:
Trees at or greater than 20 cm diameter at breast height and replacement trees will require a permit for removal, even without active development taking place.
The new bylaw offers more clarity on enforcement, ticketing, and fees for service.
It has measures to mitigate ecological losses by requiring tree replacement and other environmental enhancements, including a requirement that at least one replacement tree be a conifer.
It will enable better collection of data on private property trees within the City, including information on trees replaced, protected, and removed for better decision-making.
Learn more about the new Tree Bylaw, tree management and protection, and tree removal conditions at cnv.org/Trees.
Lee L says
More enviro police bs.
Cedars and hemlock are found in great numbers throughout the North Shore. I’ve kept my 14 cedars as long as possible because I like them. Now the roots are invading the driveway, the drain tile and the foundation of the house. Not that these holy workers care. Pay Pay Pay because you are an evil human.
Bonzo says
Or in your case, a stupid human.
Brian says
20 cm trunk diameter at breast height is ridiculous. That’s a small tree. I wonder what the permit fee will be for removal? It’s just a tax grab and nothing more. If I lived in the City of NV (I’m in the DNV where a protected tree is 75cm in diameter), I’d cut down any tree on my property before it becomes “protected” and falls under the Bylaw. The lesson is … beware of unintended consequences.
Buzz Kunst says
It’s already in force, so too late. Personally, I will be reporting any breaches I observe.
Mark says
Well, by the time someone prunes back a tree to the ground level, its too late. Because of bylaws like this, I will come and remove trees for free, quietly.
Buzz Kunst says
And I will report you if I see you.
Corrie Kost says
If we want to go with solar panels then we need to control trees so they don’t shade those roofs. Already seeing moves to have all new single homes “solar” ready. Seems one hand is not aware what the other is doing.
T. Caldwell says
Re: CNV Tree Bylaw; A diameter of 20 cm. (8 inches), at breast height is simply too small, too much governing control over what property owners can and cannot do. Locally there is no shortage of trees, or tree canopy so great that steps, actually oversteps such as this need to be undertaken.
Now if the City really wanted to be green, do something for the environment, then it might want to rethink densification with it’s total destruction of the natural lay of the land, rain water run-off, on-site garden and green space, livability.
As for trees in the City, best not let that laurel hedge get too big or it might have more say than the poor sap who planted it!
Oliver says
it’s a mindless dictatorship at the helm
Buzz Kunst says
Yeah – these terrifying jackbooted thugs. It’s worse than living in Syria.
Steve says
Well done nanny state….no trees …no airbnb….no parking anywhere….. congratulations
Oliver says
in a democracy you lose your freedom inch by inch. The neo-Marxists at the helm
Lance Hickey says
So sick and tired of government of all levels telling me what i can and cant do with my property… Property that i paid for, and pay outragous taxes on. Its like some sick joke on tax paying citizens.