TREE PROTECTION BY-LAW

The Council of the City of Pickering passed a Tree Protection By-law that prohibits and regulates the injuring, destruction or removal of trees from lands that back onto or are near to watercourses, ravines or other environmentally sensitive areas.

The purpose of the by-law is to ensure that tree cutting will not interfere with natural drainage processes, result in soil erosion, result in siltation entering a watercourse, will not have a significant impact on healthy vegetation that is adjacent to the cutting area and will not have an impact on any fish or wildlife habitat within and adjacent to the subject site.

For residential properties, the by-law does not apply to the removal of dead, dangerous, diseased or severely injured trees or stumps, in accordance with good forestry practice.

If you live near or adjacent to a watercourse, ravine or environmentally sensitive area, you will need a permit to remove a healthy tree that has a trunk in excess of 25 millimeters in diameter. The application for a permit is available at the Pickering Civic Complex between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.

If you have any questions about the Tree Protection By-law or you want to determine if you live within a Tree Protection Area, please contact the City of Pickering By-law Enforcement Services Section at 905.420.4611.

Click to view By-law  [551 kb PDF]