'We need to plant more trees,' say Burnaby staff.
As Burnaby makes plans to protect its urban forest, councillors are raising concerns about homebuilders and developers who break bylaws and use loopholes to cut down trees.Three members took aim at builders who flout the city’s tree removal bylaws.
Hurley said the current city policy isn’t working because staff don’t go back to check if the replacement trees have been cut down.The city requires a $941 “tree bond” as a security deposit before it issues a tree-cutting permit, and a city arborist has to inspect replacement trees when they are planted and one year later, according to the city’s tree bylaw FAQ.Coun. Pietro Calendino said there are still “many residents” who don’t like big trees in their yards.
She said this both destroys an older tree that would have benefited the community and also takes advantage of a rule that says tree removal permit applicants aren’t subject to the same tree replacement requirements if a tree is sick or dying. The city lost almost three per cent between 2014 and 2020, according to data from Metro Vancouver, though the city’s 2023 state of the urban forest report said the canopy cover remained “relatively stable” because growth compensated for loss.“We are on a path to lose trees,” said Melinda Yong, environmental planner in the parks department.
As the city is now in the midst of drafting an urban forest strategy, staff asked council if Burnaby wants to reach for Meto Vancouver’s regional target of 40 per cent or a “more aspirational” target.Hurley said the city would have to reach at least 40 per cent to “make a difference in this planet.
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