Delta is undertaking a review of its tree protection bylaw.
Engineering director Steven Lan confirmed staff members are going to take a close look at the effectiveness of the current bylaw following concerns raised by the Delta Naturalists' Society, which says it's alarmed at the number of healthy trees being removed.
In a Delta council workshop presentation in December, members of the society recommended a new tree protection bylaw to make the municipality more proactive in conserving urban forests.
Hoping for several changes, including adjacent homeowners being notified of proposed tree removals, the society is asking council to suspend or stringently monitor current permit applications during a bylaw review to prevent a surge of applications.
According to the group, aerial photos show just how much of the urban forest has been lost throughout Delta.
"About 2,000 tree cutting permits are issued every year in Delta. Many more trees, such as those in utility corridors, are removed or pruned without the requirement for permits," the society states in a report. "For homeowners, the first tree-cutting permit each year is free and the second permit is only $50. This means that a typical housing lot can be cleared in just a few years for very little expense," the group notes, adding, "The removal of a long-standing tree usually comes as a shock to neighbours."
The society also says the bylaw does not have a provision to control bulk tree cutting where developers purchase two or more lots.
In 2006, council approved a bylaw requiring property owners to obtain a permit and an arborist's report before cutting any trees. However, property owners are allowed to cut one tree per year for any reason, in most instances, without having to pay the permit fee or obtain an arborist report.
Those who cut trees without permission face fines up to $10,000 plus the cost of replacing the trees.
The aim of the bylaw was to prevent property owners from clear-cutting before applying for a development permit, when tree replacement requirements could be imposed. Staff told council at the time it was a problem, particularly in North Delta.
Lan told the Optimist Delta encourages tree planting and tree retention through its Trees for Tomorrow program and regulates tree cutting and tree replacement through its bylaw that is now being reviewed by staff at council's direction.
During 2014, 2,355 trees were removed from private property and 161 from municipal property, according to the engineering department, noting the majority of permits issued were for the removal of a single tree.
"For replacement, a total of 800 trees were planted on private property. As some of the private properties were unable to accommodate the total number of trees required for replacement, cash in-lieu was taken and used by Delta to fund planting of an additional 650 trees on municipal property," the department states.
