King Township considers regulating tree removal on private property

The bylaw applies to healthy trees on private property in the three villages

Yorkregion.com
June 18, 2019
Sheila Wang

King loves its trees.

Council approved unanimously at a council meeting on June 10 a staff report proposing a draft tree bylaw that was set out to protect the tree canopy in the three villages: King City, Schomberg, and Nobleton.

The draft bylaw applies to healthy trees -- that are more than 20 cms in diameter at breast height - on private property in the villages, according to the report.

“The municipality wants to have a chance to encourage the homeowner to really think about is it really necessary (to cut down trees) if it’s a healthy mature tree. Isn’t there some way that you can allow it to continue?” said Ward 5 Councillor Debbie Schaefer.

Calling it a “very innovative” bylaw, the councillor said it is not going be an absolute ban on tree removal, but rather, giving a choice to the residents.

Homeowners who aspire to remove their own trees would need to obtain a permit -- free of charge -- to replace the one tree with three trees planted or a cash-in-lieu of three trees, according the draft bylaw.

The cost per replacement tree is about $500 per tree, which will go toward special funds for tree planting of the Parks, Recreation and Culture department.

While most municipalities around York Region have tree bylaws in place, this is going to be the first tree bylaw in King if adopted.

“I think what we have right now is a happy median. I think it satisfies the need for private landowners to have a say and it also addresses the need to preserve the trees where it makes sense,” Ward 6 Avia Eek said of the draft bylaw.

As much as people enjoy the tree canopy in the neighbourhoods, King has seen many homeowners taking the liberty of taking down trees, the councillor said.

Eek said she’s happy to see the “long overdue” tree bylaw to be put in place in King which has been in discussion for more than a decade.

“The goal underneath all these is education and awareness,” said Bruce Craig, chair of Concerned Citizens of King Township (CCKT). “The hope is that it helps people to pause before they just cut trees down, with a little bit of thinking and looking at it first.”

Craig and other CCKT members have been working with township staff on a Tree Focus Working Group for the past two years to explore ideas for a bylaw to protect healthy trees.

The tree canopy in the township has grown from 5 per cent in 2010 to 25 per cent in 2019, and it should be a “high priority” for King to preserve and expand the canopy in light of climate change, Craig said.

“There aren’t any other municipalities quite like King. We’re unique, on a lot of levels. This is the opportunity for the public to get engaged with us,” said Eek who encourages the public to engage with township through consultations this summer on the draft bylaw.

A final bylaw is expected to be adopted by this fall.

Visit speaking.king.ca for schedules of upcoming consultation.