Port Moody’s updated Tree Protection Bylaw will help to protect more trees for a healthier, more resilient community

After an extensive bylaw review process that included three phases of public engagement, Port Moody City Council has adopted City of Port Moody Tree Protection Bylaw, 2026, Number 3531. This updated bylaw, now in effect, regulates tree protection on private and public lands in Port Moody. It builds and expands on the previous Tree Protection Bylaw, which was first adopted in 1999 and last updated in 2015. Visit portmoody.ca/tree-permits to learn more about the updated bylaw.

“We initiated a carefully considered review of the Tree Protection Bylaw in response to our community’s strong environmental stewardship values and the global climate emergency,” said Mayor Meghan Lahti. “The result is an updated bylaw that’s in alignment with best practices for urban forest management and can better support us as we work to achieve the City’s long-term canopy cover targets. Trees help keep our neighbourhoods healthy, livable, and resilient – we’ve made important changes that will help us protect more trees throughout Port Moody.” 

For homeowners, strata managers, and builders/developers, the updated bylaw clarifies when a Tree Management Permit (formerly Tree Removal Permit) is required and the expectations for tree protection. (Tree Management Permit is an umbrella term that includes permits for the removal of trees on private property as well as permits for the protection of retained trees on properties undergoing development.)

The bylaw also contains updates to ensure that when trees are removed, new ones are planted on site or funded for planting elsewhere. Additional updates include:

• trees greater than or equal to 30 centimetres in diameter at breast height (i.e. diameter of the trunk of the tree at 1.4 metres above the tree’s base) are protected – a Tree Management Permit is required for all private properties (including Single Detached Residential lots), not just for Environmentally Sensitive Areas or when development is being considered (a permit may also be required for smaller trees in certain circumstances);
• harmful activities – such as topping, excessive pruning, or disturbing a protected tree’s roots – are now prohibited to ensure trees remain healthy and safe;
• fewer replacement trees may be required if a private property already has 35 to 45 per cent canopy cover – if the canopy is above 45 per cent, replacement may be waived;
• requirements are in place for the size and maturity of replacement trees to match canopy loss and address the trees’ future growth potential; and
• permit fees and deposits are lower for homeowners and stratas than for developers.

Reviewing and updating the Tree Protection Bylaw with input from the community was identified as a strategy in the City’s Urban Forest Management Strategy. Adopted in 2023, the Strategy guides us as we preserve and maximize the benefits that trees provide as well as respond to the impacts of climate change and urban growth and development. Public engagement on the Tree Protection Bylaw review was conducted in three phases between 2022 and 2024. Visit engage.portmoody.ca to view our public engagement summaries. 

The new Tree Protection Bylaw, as well as more detailed information about the updates and different scenarios requiring a Tree Management Permit, can be found online at portmoody.ca/tree-permits. Planning staff are available at treepermits@portmoody.ca or 604.469.4540 to answer questions related to permit requirements.