Speak up to Protect Toronto’s Trees

The City of Toronto is reviewing its Tree Bylaws and wants public input. These bylaws regulate the injury and removal of trees, require planting replacement trees in compensation, and safeguard sensitive natural areas like ravines and tableland forests. An online survey is open until September 24, plus there are public consultations both in-person and online. 

The proposed improvements include:

  • Lowering the threshold that requires a permit (for injury or removal) below the current 30 cm in diameter.
  • Higher financial penalties for Tree Bylaw contraventions.
  • Creating a new “Distinctive Tree” category to better protect trees over 61 cm in diameter.
  • Offering financial help to qualifying private property owners to offset the cost of maintenance of large, healthy trees.
  • Giving developers more flexibility in how they design buildings even if it doesn’t meet the current zoning, if the design helps preserve protected trees.
  • Introducing fees for removing or injuring trees in ravine-protected areas. (Volunteer stewardship projects would be exempt.)

TFN encourages city residents to fill in the survey. This could be great news for the health of our urban forest. Show Council you support a stronger tree protection bylaw in Toronto.

When you fill out the survey, TFN also encourages you to point out that invasive tree species (like Norway Maple and Tree of Heaven) deserve special rules and management. Unlike native trees, invasive tree species can be serious barriers to restoring ravine ecosystems. This policy consideration seems to be completely missing from the city’s proposed bylaw changes, and there are places in the survey that have “other” for an answer where this point can be made to city staff.

https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/trees/tree-bylaw-review

Thank you for speaking up to protect and grow Toronto’s urban forest!

Toronto Field Naturalists wishes to acknowledge this Land through which we walk. For thousands of years, the Land has been shared by the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe. Toronto is situated on the Land within the Toronto Purchase, Treaty 13, the traditional and treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is also part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, a covenant agreement between Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Wendat peoples and allied nations to peaceably share the land and all its resources. Today, the Land is home to peoples of numerous nations. We are all grateful to have the opportunity to continue to care for and share the beauty of this Land.