Tree Protection Bylaw Review

At the Monday, Nov. 1 Meeting of Council, Council was presented with a staff report on the Tree Protection Bylaw Review - Phase 3 Engagement Plan Options.

This meeting followed from the August 16 Meeting of Council, where Council directed staff to bring back an engagement plan, revised work plan, and budget for Council’s review and consideration prior to moving forward to Phase 3 of the Tree Protection Bylaw Review.

The staff report presented on Nov. 1 outlined two engagement options for Council:

1. to further consult on the draft bylaw as last presented to the public and Council during Phase 2; or
2. to engage the community on alternatives for the bylaw update or on a revised draft bylaw based on Council direction.

Diamond Head Consulting (DHC) provided a complementary presentation that included a refresher on the key directions and alternatives for consideration (in response to Phase 2 engagement results). The presentation also included options for the work plan in Phase 3, including two options for further public engagement.

After the presentation and discussion, Council directed staff to proceed with additional bylaw research with DHC, approve the $8,970 expenditure, and report back independently of deliberations related to further engagement.

The research work includes further work on:

• interviewing other local governments on the use of tree minimums
• Statistics on number of trees removed per address, area, and per hectare
• Researching the use of incentives in other tree bylaws

DHC indicated that they would be able to report back to Council by Nov. 29 with a summary memo.

Council also noted that this particular bylaw review is technically complicated and suggested that staff explore ways to clearly communicate what the current tree protection bylaw (adopted in 2002) regulates, and what changes are recommended through the draft Tree Protection Bylaw.

Ultimately, Council deferred further discussion regarding engagement options for the Tree Protection Bylaw Review to Nov. 29, at a Special Meeting of Council dedicated to the topic.

Further, Council moved they increase the expenditure to $10,000 for the additional tree protection bylaw research, to include consultant attendance at the November 29 meeting, and further directed staff to report back with funding source options.

You can view a recording of the presentation and discussion about the Tree Protection Bylaw Review by clicking on the "VIDEO" tab (starting at ~1:32:39).

This Monday, November 1, Council will receive a staff report that highlights Phase 3 engagement plan options for the Tree Protection Bylaw review.

This follows from the August 16 Meeting of Council, where Council received the Phase 2 Report: Engagement on Key Directions and draft Tree Protection Bylaw, and directed staff to bring back an engagement plan, revised work plan, and budget for Council’s review and consideration.

The staff report outlines two engagement options for Council:

1. to further consult on the draft bylaw as last presented to the public and Council during Phase 2; or
2. to engage the community on alternatives for the bylaw update or on a revised draft bylaw based on Council direction.

You can review the Council agenda, including all relevant information about the Phase 3 engagement plan options for the Tree Protection Bylaw review, for November 1, 2021, at https://northsaanich.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=679

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the draft Tree Protection Bylaw. We have summarized what we heard in the Phase 2 Report: Engagement on Key Directions. On Monday, August 16 Council reviewed the Phase 2 report and considered alternatives to the Key Directions in response to what we've heard from you.

Council requested the Project Team bring back options for engagement through Phase 3, and a revised work plan and budget later this fall.

At the June 7, 2021 Council Meeting a video presentation was shared by Grade 3 - 5 Deep Cove Elementary students. It was prepared for North Saanich Mayor and Council with regards to the review of the Tree Protection Bylaw. As mentioned in their video the students understand that community voices, including theirs is important.

View the video.

Thanks again to the Deep Cove students for their interest in this project and the future of North Saanich.

The Project Team has prepared the draft Tree Protection Bylaw for your review. The draft Tree Protection Bylaw reflects the findings from the Key Directions in Phase 1 and works to address the challenges raised by Council, community members, stakeholders and District staff.

As part of Phase 2 there are two ways to get involved by:

• attending a virtual presentation and Q&A session on May 11 at 7 p.m.
• completing the Phase 2 Survey on the draft Tree Protection Bylaw by May 31.
  • the short form survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete, whereas the long form survey take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

The Phase 2 Survey enables respondents to observe the effects of the draft bylaw on specific tree protection contexts as compared to the current bylaw and rate the satisfaction of results. Open ended questions provide for unscripted responses. This allows participants with a clearer sense of trade-offs and impacts of the draft bylaw changes before the bylaw proceeds to Council.

This feedback will help further shape the draft Tree Protection Bylaw. At the conclusion of Phase 2 the Project Team will present to Council a:

• final report
• draft Tree Protection Bylaw
• draft species list
• draft District Tree Policy for Municipal Lands; and the
• Phase 2 engagement summary.

Phase 1 Background Review and Key Directions

The District initiated the review of the Tree Bylaw in the fall of 2020. Phase 1 focused on assessing the current community context, reviewing the state of best practices in aboriculture and urban forestry, comparing the Tree Protection Bylaw with the bylaw of similar municipalities and engaging the public to understand their priorities and shared values in protection trees on private land. The Phase 1 Background Review and Key Directions report summarizes this work.

Phase 1 Engagement Summary

The goal for engagement during the first project phase was to involve the community in identifying concerns and aspirations related to the management of private trees in the District.

Community engagement was conducted online due to COVID-19 restrictions and included:

• Four online community workshops
• Connect North Saanich online engagement using the following tools:
  • Survey
  • Questions and answers; and
  • Ideas
• One staff workshop
• Three District Commission presentations (Community Agricultural Commission, Community Planning Commission, Community Stewardship Commission)

More details on each of these activities including engagement stats and key themes are outlined within The Phase 1 Engagement Summary.

Next Steps: Phase 2 Draft Bylaw Update

At the Special Committee of the Whole Meeting on March 18, 2021 Council received the Phase 1 Engagement Summary, endorsed the Background Review and Key Directions report and endorsed the revised Project Charter and revised Engagement Plan. As per Council's direction we are now in Phase 2 where we will prepare a full draft Tree Protection Bylaw for public review.

Further Background

Why regulate trees in North Saanich?

Trees improve quality of life in North Saanich by capturing rainwater and returning it to the soil, cleaning the air, shading and cooling streets and buildings, stabilizing steep slopes, and providing people with opportunities to connect with and relax in nature. Trees also provide habitat for birds, wildlife and other living things while being part of broader ecological connectivity, ecosystem function and overall ecosystem integrity. The ecosystem services that trees provide also improve our community’s resilience to climate hazards such as extreme heat and rainfall events.

However, trees also need to be removed sometimes, for example, when they are in poor health, are unsafe or for development when it is consistent with our Official Community Plan and permitted zoning. Tree Bylaws are used by many communities in BC to regulate the protection and replacement of trees.

How are trees regulated in North Saanich?

The District manages trees on public land and administers a Tree Protection Bylaw that regulates the cutting, removal or damaging of trees on private property. As part of this review, recommendations will be made to update the Tree Protection Bylaw to respond to today’s challenges and reflect the values of the community. A District Tree Policy will also be developed to guide the protection and replacement of trees on District-owned lands.