Developing a tree bylaw that is in the best interests of all residents is not an easy task, according to Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan.
"You have that whole spectrum of views about these situations," he said, adding some people think it is wrong to interfere with someone's right to cut down a tree on their own property, while others view those trees as the community's property and want them all protected.
Corrigan made the comments during an interview regarding his campaign for the November municipal election, when speaking on the subject of the city's environmental track record.
"I invite any criticism if there are areas where we can improve," Corrigan said. "We want to be the best."
He said the city does what many others "don't dare to do," dedicating 25 per cent of the land in Burnaby to park space and preserving two lakes in the centre of the city.
As for the tree bylaw, Corrigan said, he isn't making any decision lightly, or only viewing one perspective.
"We need to listen a lot more than that," he said. "We need to find a more elegant solution than simply putting prohibitions on people."
Burnaby's tree bylaw from 1996 restricts property owners from cutting down large trees (larger than 20.3 cm in diameter) three months prior to applying for a demolition permit for a building on a property, and one year afterward.
Large trees that residents cut down are supposed to be replaced with a new tree, according to the bylaw, though the replacement of trees isn't always a 1: 1 ratio.
The city has started a tree bylaw review, but a local tree activist is frustrated that the public consultation won't begin until after the November municipal election.
"I feel they are avoiding the issue until after the election," Donna Polos wrote in an email to the NOW in September.
Polos spoke to council about the current tree bylaw in June, presenting a petition with 500 signatures to encourage council to update the bylaw.
But Basil Luksun, director of planning and building for the city, refuted Polos' statement that the city was stalling on the review.
"I recognize that the tree bylaw review has not been completed as quickly as hoped by council and some members of the public, but it has been solely dictated by the need to recommend amendments based on sound research and the availability of staff time," Luksun said in an email to the NOW. "It has not been dictated by the election date."
The city is being methodical in its approach so that any changes are effective in the long-term, he explained
The city has completed the first step of the process - reviewing bylaws of 20 other urban municipalities in B.C., Luksun said.
The results are currently being analyzed. The city is also conducting a tree inventory, he added.
"We are also in the process of undertaking a tree inventory of a set of representative residential properties to record the number, size and species of trees present," Luksun said. "This data will be used to assess the implications of any changes."
The city plans to conduct public consultations on the bylaw in the spring, and the final report on the issue should be presented to council next fall, according to Luksun.
Polos took the issue to the Burnaby Municipal Greens, as she is worried more of the city's trees will be lost in that time, she said.
The party has since made the issue part of its campaign.
"As we continue to drag our feet on this issue, there could be a rush to clear large trees on properties before the bylaw is strengthened," Green candidate Rick McGowan said in a press release.
Green candidate Matthew Stuart said in the release that he felt the bylaw goes against the city's social sustainability charter, which has community livability as one of its 10-year goals.
"Trees located on residential properties are needed to maintain livability," he stated.
