Protect Urban Forests

Urban forests are increasingly under threat in British Columbia and around the world

Urban forests are coming down in spite of concerns about hot and dry weather and the urban heat island effect. We need to protect urban forests which create rain, clean the air and absorb pollution and yet city trees are coming down anyway.

City councils don’t understand the importance of trees (or don’t care)

City councils are often beholden to developers and are not being held responsible for their decisions negatively impacting trees, forests and wildlife.

In Saanich, a consultant arborist said this, “Trees can be managed, but they cannot be controlled. The only way to eliminate all risk is to eliminate all trees.” And it appears that an urban development lobby group in BC is inexplicably being funded with provincial and municipal taxpayers’ money.

A canopy cover of 40% is ideal

The National Observer article, Can urban forests survive the housing boom?, outlines the significant challenges where housing and development pressures compete for trees. “Urban forest experts say a city should have around a 40 per cent tree canopy cover to garner its benefits.” Canadian cities vary and only Ottawa-Gatineau has more than 40%, at 46% urban forest cover. Vancouver has 25% and Victoria 29%.

As there is a finite amount of space in cities housing is usually prioritized. But are recent developments all about housing or about developers? Because the resulting high-priced condominiums make it seem that it’s about profit far more than about housing for those who need it. And residents and tree cover suffers for it.

Vancouver has a goal of 30% tree cover but doesn’t seem to be heading in that direction. It’s ironic that they talk the talk about a strategy to protect urban forests but are logging Stanley Park‘s hemlocks.

Photo: Adrien Olichon/Pexels

Tree Protection Bylaws and Urban Forest Strategies

Metro Vancouver has a tool kit that municipalities are supposed to follow about increasing tree canopy. Despite this many Lower Mainland councils seem to do what they please. One dramatic example is the lengths that the Vancouver Park Board has gone to deforest Stanley Park, cutting the larger living trees while leaving the thinner less marketable ones. They maintain that it’s because of damage from the hemlock looper moth but that doesn’t explain why they are cutting down healthy, living trees. And why they aren’t just leaving dead trees standing for wildlife.

Unfortunately Bill 44, the BC Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 will likely negatively impact tree protections and significantly reduce urban forests throughout British Columbia. The Narwhal article, New Housing Rules in B.C. trigger fears of ‘catastrophic’ loss of urban trees addresses the harms of Bill 44 relating to the ability to protect trees and to protect local autonomy. “Critics say the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach removes local autonomy and threatens urban forests, including Greater Victoria’s endangered Garry oak ecosystem.” Adam Olsen, a BC Green Party MLA, says that the BC NDP government failed to consult the public about Bill 44 ‘in any way.’ And lobbying by developers against environmental protection has been going on for a long time and appears to be ramping up.

How do we protect urban forests in the face of development pressures and now Bill 44? Below are links to municipal tree bylaws and local efforts to protect trees. One hopes that Bill 44 can be challenged on the basis that it removes municipal autonomy.

Photo: EA/Pexels

Municipalities

British Columbia

Aldergrove

Please see Langley

District of North Vancouver

District of North Vancouver Tree Protection Bylaw

Islands Trust area

Islands Trust area Raincoast – An overview of tree bylaws in BC and an assessment of their applicability in the Islands Trust area

Islands Trust

Kelowna

Kelowna Tree Protection Bylaw

Castanet Letter: Why cut down trees? | January 2025

Langford

Langford Langford Council approves a robust urban forest management plan | November 2024

Langley

Langley Township Tree Protection Bylaw

Langley Township Community Forest Management Strategy

Langley Township Greater Langley Tree Stewardship Facebook group

Lantzville

Lantzville finally adopted a tree protection by-law in 2022 – the Lantzville Tree Protection Bylaw but still allowed a developer to clear a massive chunk of land off the main Lantzville Road.

New West Record Lantzville mulls FOG (future old-growth) zones | March 2024

Metro Vancouver

CBC News Metro Vancouver tree canopy in decline amid push for new housing | April 2024

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation – Park Partners

2020 Regional Tree Canopy Cover and Impervious Surface in Metro Vancouver | March 2024

Metro Vancouver Urban Trees List

Unfortunately tree list sidelines coastal western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) which is native and the most predominant species on much of coastal BC by placing it in their “Marginal” list.

Nanaimo

“Urban forests are a valuable component to our environment and Nanaimo is fortunate to enjoy one that is rich in diversity. As this is a time of year for preparing our yards and gardens for the growing season ahead, residents should be aware of the Tree Bylaw and ensure they are complying with it.”. Patrick McIntosh, Urban Forestry Coordinator, City of Nanaimo

Nanaimo Tree Protection Bylaw

Nanaimo Urban Forestry

Take Action

Nanaimo Save Cable Bay

✍️ Call to Action Write a letter to Mayor and Council to Save Cable Bay

✍️ Petition to Preserve and expand the Cable Bay Trail Area

✍️ Petition to Save Harewood Plains

Nanaimo Nanaimo and Area Land Trust

North Vancouver

City of North Vancouver Trees and Tree Protection Bylaw

City of North Vancouver Urban Forest Plan

City of North Vancouver Hemlock looper moth outbreak

City of North Vancouver Hazard tree removal update

Note the City of North Vancouver is removing a small number of hemlocks while the Vancouver Park Board is going ahead with the wholesale destruction of hemlocks in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

Parksville

It seems that very few forests are protected without someone or some organization having to buy the land to protect it. Nature Trust British Columbia has thankfully protected 13 acres (5.2 hectares) of precious wildlife habitat along the Kw’a’luxw (Englishman) River at 130 Shelly Road.

Parksville Tree Protection Bylaw

Nature Trust British Columbia Kw’a’luxw (Englishman) River – Shelly Road protection

Take Action

Save Estuary Land Society

Save Estuary Land Society Facebook page

✍️Petition Say No to Development in the Englishman / Kw’a’luxw River Floodplain, 703 Turner Rd (unfortunately construction has already begun)

Penticton

Penticton Tree Protection Bylaw

Penticton’s Urban Forest Facebook Group

Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam Tree Protection Bylaw

Wondrous Tree Fellowship

Tri-Cities Urban Forest Working Group Working to Preserve and Enhance Our Urban Forest

Port Moody

Port Moody Tree Protection Bylaw

Port Moody Urban Forest Management Strategy 2050

Tri-Cities Dispatch New housing can’t come at the expense of a city’s tree canopy, says Port Moody council | February 2024

Richmond

Richmond Tree Protection Bylaw

Save Richmond Trees Facebook Group

Richmond News East Richmond residents up in arms about healthy trees taken down | July 2024

Saanich

Saanich Tree Protection Bylaw

Saanich Urban Forest Strategy

Saanich News VIDEO: Trees chopped for construction leave Saanich home feeling like ‘heat dome’ | February 2024

CRD Watch The Latest Environmental Destruction in and Around the University of Victoria (UVic) | February 2024

CRD Watch Through the Looking Glass: How Saanich Politicians and Staff are in the Process of Disabling the Local Area Plans Without the Public Realizing it.| March 2024

CRD Watch There is a Serious Lack of Environmental Protections in Saanich’s New Proposed Official Community Plan (OCP) According to Former Resilient Saanich Technical Committee (RSTC) Member Dr. Kevin Brown’s Submission to Saanich | May 2024

CRD Watch Letter re. removal of 485 trees by BC Hydro near Prospect Lake Road | June 2024

Saanich News LETTER: Urban designation overlooks diverse Saanich habitat | June 2024

Focus on Victoria Saanich’s new Biodiversity Conservation Strategy ignores key recommendations from experts | October 2024

CRD Watch The Fate of one of the last Surviving Garry Oak Groves in Cadboro Bay Hangs in the Balance: The District of Saanich Doesn’t Appear to Know What Will Happen to it. | December 2024

Surrey

Surrey Tree Protection Bylaw

Surrey Green Timbers Heritage Society

Surrey Great Trees of Surrey

Surrey Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society – Preserve the Semiahmoo Trail Forest

Surrey Now Leader LETTER: Don’t let Surrey reduce greenspace and tree canopy | September 2024

Surrey Now Leader Petition against Surrey cemetery expansion takes root | October 2024

Peace Arch News Surrey amends Tree Protection Bylaw to ‘improve clarity’ | October 2024

Surrey Now Leader LETTER: South Surrey forest is more than just trees | November 2024

The City of Surrey’s plan to expand Sunnyside Cemetery threatens 30 acres of mature second-growth forest surrounding the historic Semiahmoo Trail.

Take Action

✍️ Petition to Preserve the Semiahmoo Trail Forest – Oppose the Expansion of the Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery

Vancouver

Vancouver’s street trees are increasingly under threat of being cut down for reasons unknown. In January 2025 several trees in Chilco Square were cut down. Trees at Bute and Robson were also cut down, for no obvious reason. With hot and dry summers why would the Park Board be cutting trees down?

Vancouver Trees

Vancouver Street Tree By-law

Vancouver Urban Forest Strategy

Vancouver Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2024-25

Mentions the importance of urban forests to reduce the heat island effect.

Vancouver Street Tree database

Vancouver 2022 Tree Canopy Assessment by Diamond Head Consulting

Vancouver Vancouver Let’s Talk Trees! With Park Board Commissioner Tom Digby Facebook Group

Vancouver Ancient Trees of Vancouver Facebook Group

Vancouver Urban Forests Research Hub – UBC Faculty of Forestry

Vancouver Recommendations to improve the health of Vancouver’s street trees surrounded by hardscape | UBC Sustainability Scholar 2023

Vancouver Heritage Vancouver – Historic Street Trees

As historic mature specimen trees become older and die, the City is refusing to plant the same traditional species, and is replacing them with much smaller, ornamental trees that do not have the same scale or presence (from 2010).

Green Party of Vancouver Opposition Councillors unite to seek ABC support to expand urban tree canopy to fight global warming and protect peoples’ health city-wide

Vancouver The majority of 162 trees cut down in Champlain Heights trail system due to being dead or declining, not necessarily rotten or dangerous | 2021

North Shore News Are Metro Vancouver’s urban forest goals sunk? | May 2024

City Hall Watch Broadway Plan versus Vancouver’s Urban Forest: A case study at 310 East 14th Avenue (Council is preparing to further turbocharge the Plan on Dec 11, 2024) | November 2024

Provincial Vancouver Charter Part XXIX Protection of Trees

Free the Fern – Protect the Champlain Heights Trail System