Protecting the urban canopy: Edmonton to revisit public tree bylaw

New bylaw could protect Edmonton’s trees The bylaw would help protect the city’s urban forest by stiffening fines and creating new permit requirements. David Ewasuk explains.

EDMONTON — The new public tree bylaw, proposed by the city’s urban planning committee, aims to protect trees by preventing them from possible damage caused by nearby construction work sites.

The bylaw would require a tree permit when construction work occurs within five metres of a boulevard or open space trees and within 10 metres of natural areas.

Tree permits would be obtained by submitting a tree preservation or protection plan to the City of Edmonton, which must then receive approval from an urban forester.

“What the bylaw will allow us to do is be proactive instead of reactive,” said Philip Herritt, director of infrastructure with the City of Edmonton.

He says the newly proposed bylaw would require planning before and throughout the duration of construction projects to ensure the health of Edmonton’s urban canopy.

“(The urban canopy) helps with sequestering carbon, it helps with climate control and (addresses) some of those swings in temperature by creating shade, by holding water in for the city,” Herritt said.

The City of Edmonton has been working on the proposal for four years. If approved, it would see an increase in fines from $500 to $1,000 starting next year for those who do not follow approved protective plans with a tree permit.

According to Herritt, mature trees make up around 15 per cent of Edmonton’s urban canopy. If those mature trees are damaged, Herritt says they could take decades to replace.

Edmonton’s urban forest takes up over 3,000 hectares of natural area and includes over 380,000 trees maintained by the city. The newly proposed bylaw is planned to go ahead of council on Monday.