The Town of Comox has adopted a new Tree Protection Bylaw that it says will help preserve and enhance the community's urban forest while providing clear rules for tree removal, replacement, and protection.

The Tree Protection Bylaw establishes a framework to regulate the damage, cutting, and removal of certain trees throughout the community.

The bylaw identifies when a Tree Permit is required, defines protected trees, and outlines requirements for replacement planting when tree removal is approved.

Mayor Nicole Minions says the bylaw helps protect mature trees, preserve important native species, and maintain the environmental, social, and economic benefits that trees provide for current and future generations.

The bylaw supports the Town's Urban Forest Management Strategy by helping protect existing tree canopy and offset approved removals through replacement planting.

The strategy establishes a pathway to increase Comox's urban canopy from about 25 percent today to 26 percent by 2055, with a long-term goal of reaching 30 per cent by 2085.

Under the new bylaw, Town of Comox property owners must obtain a Tree Permit before damaging, cutting, or removing a Regulated Tree unless a specific exemption applies.

Regulated Trees include priority native tree species measuring 20 centimetres or more in diameter at breast height, other tree species measuring 30 centimetres or more in DBH, and protected Trees.

Priority Species include many native trees commonly found in Comox, including Douglas-fir, western redcedar, western hemlock, grand fir, Sitka spruce, Garry oak, arbutus, bigleaf maple, and Pacific yew.

A Protected Tree is a type of Regulated Tree that may only be cut or removed under specific circumstances.

They include large trees with a DBH of 50cm or more, trees on Town-owned land, replacement trees, covenant trees, and trees retained through development approvals.

Protected Trees may only be removed in limited circumstances, such as when they are dead, hazardous, pose a wildfire risk, conflict with approved development, or are causing unavoidable damage.

The bylaw also requires replacement planting when regulated trees are removed to help maintain and grow Comox's urban canopy.

Learn more at Town of Comox.