Trees provide important benefits. They have environmental value, provide shade, improve our quality of life, and enhance the community’s natural beauty – an enduring source of PoCo Pride.

Port Coquitlam’s current tree canopy (the area covered by trees) is 23.8% – but that will decline if we don’t change how we manage our trees.

Did you know?

• Port Coquitlam’s “urban forest” includes about 5.6 million trees on all private and public property, including streets, parks and conservation areas.
• About 45% of Port Coquitlam’s urban forest is on public land, and 55% is on private land.

We are proposing changes to current policies, regulations and implementation practices that would apply to trees on both public and private properties. These changes include enhancements to the policies in our Official Community Plan (OCP) and changes to current regulations in our Tree Bylaw to promote planting, protection and management of trees.

Proposed changes to OCP policies would set the stage for the City to better manage trees:

• Enhance retention of existing trees in development approval processes by allowing variances to building setback, parking and other requirements.
• Allow for more planting of trees through road design, and encourage additional and diverse trees as part of development approvals.
• Develop programs to identify and celebrate significant trees, identify and register trees with heritage value, establish a City-wide tree data base, and manage wildfire risk. 

Proposed changes to the Tree Bylaw would help the community promote planting and protection of trees:

Planting trees

• Requiring one replacement tree to be planted for each tree cut, or two replacement trees if the tree cut is a significant (i.e. very large) tree.
• Providing for the City to accept $500 cash-in-lieu when a property owner is unable to plant a replacement tree. These funds would be used to plant trees on boulevards and in City parks.
• Increase tree permit fee to $100 per tree and stop waiving permit fees for one tree per year, with funds directed to City tree planting.

Protecting trees

• Reducing the minimum size of trees regulated the Tree Bylaw to a diameter of 15 cm (6 inches) or a height of 5 m (16 ft).
• Expanding the definition of significant trees to include all trees with a diameter of 60 cm (approx. 2 ft) or greater, trees of locally rare or threatened species, and wildlife or listed heritage trees.
• Requiring tree permits to be posted in a visible place on site while tree work is underway.
• Allowing the removal of trees posing an immediate hazard. A tree permit would need to be obtained from the City within two days of the removal, free of charge.
• Requiring protective barriers around all retained trees during development.
• Increase penalties for contravening the bylaw.

• A permit will now apply to all trees greater than 15 cm (6 inches) across, or taller than 5 m (16 ft).
• The City would no longer provide one “free” tree cutting permit per year.
• A replacement plan showing the location and type of replacement tree will be required.

• The City will produce a set of guidelines to help residents choose the right replacement tree.
• Residents will be required to submit a replacement plan which will be reviewed by the City to ensure it is appropriate for the site.

Permit fees and cash-in-lieu funds would be used to plant trees in public spaces, such as in parks and on boulevards.

Yes. Community safety is the City’s top priority.

• For trees that pose an immediate hazard:
  • A property owner would be able to cut down a tree that poses a real and immediate hazard, but not remove it from the site. The owner would then need to apply for a free retroactive permit within two days of cutting the tree. The City’s arborists will need to confirm the tree was a hazard before issuing the permit.
• For trees not posing an immediate hazard:
  • A permit would be acquired through the normal process.

Public consultation revealed a strong desire to retain healthy old trees in our community. Under the proposed amendments, significant trees would include:

• Trees with a diameter of 60 cm or greater (approx. 2 ft)
• Trees of locally rare or threatened species
• Wildlife trees
• Listed heritage trees

A permit to remove a significant tree would be issued if the tree is hazardous, or is deemed necessary for redevelopment of a site. If the permit is approved, the planting of two replacement trees would be required.

Under the proposed bylaw, a tree permit would need to be publicly visible during cutting. This would make it easier for the community to understand the conditions of a permit, and let the City know if a permit has not been acquired.

Penalties for contravening the bylaw would range from $200 for failure to display a permit, to $1,000 for removing a tree without a permit, and up to $4,000 for late payment of a fine for removing a significant tree without a permit. In addition, three replacement trees would need to be planted for each tree removed without a permit.

These penalties are intended to deter contraventionand would be in line with tree bylaw penalties in other Metro Vancouver municipalities.