Dieppe Innovates with Tree Bylaw

A presentation on the outline of a tree bylaw was made by City of Dieppe staff to City Council at the public meeting of the Standing Committee on Strategies and Public Policies held at City Hall on Thursday, April 27.

The City of Dieppe has had a Tree Code since 2006, but it only covers trees on municipally owned land. There are currently no regulations governing trees on private property, except for some new construction projects that have landscaping requirements.

The proposed bylaw seeks to balance the protection of trees with the need to pursue development aimed at addressing the City’s lack of housing. Trees benefit everyone and play a much more important function than simply one of beautification.

The proposal recommends that any tree-cutting on private land must obtain a permit from the municipality.

“Over the past two years, residents and council members clearly voiced their concerns about the importance of trees in our community. I am therefore very pleased that responses to the feedback received has been included in the proposed bylaw,” said Mayor Yvon Lapierre.

Outline of proposal

• Permit: A permit is mandatory for cutting trees over 10 cm in diameter.
• Tree study: City staff would analyze the state and health of the trees on the site to determine which can be kept, which are of interest and which can be cut. Trees of interest would have to be at least 30 cm in diameter at a height of 1.3 m (4.26 ft) from the ground.
• Mandatory tree replacement: If healthy trees had to be cut down for a project (building construction, adding a fence, etc.), a new tree would need to be replanted, or an amount per tree would have to be given to the municipality for use in a tree replanting program elsewhere in the City.

This would be a first for Atlantic Canada since no other community in the region appears to have a bylaw governing trees on private property. Creating one would mark a shift in practice towards protecting trees that would require everyone’s cooperation.

To learn more about the proposed bylaw, its objectives and next steps, or to share your concerns and comments, visit dieppe.ca/trees