The town of Oakville is reinforcing its Private Tree Protection By-law with new procedures. These enhancements, approved at a recent Town Council meeting, are meant to conserve trees on private property.
The additional measures were approved under the Private Tree Protection By-law, aiming to bring the town closer to its target of achieving 40 per cent tree canopy coverage by 2057.
Developed by town staff as part of the existing by-law adopted in 2017, the new procedure outlines important steps when assessing applications for private tree removal.
It comes on the heels of a study by consultants from the University of Toronto and the Ontario Woodlot Association, evaluating the by-law's efficacy in light of Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022.
Analysis indicates a positive trend since the implementation of the strengthened by-law, with over 345 trees preserved, covering 11,914 square meters of canopy.
The study also recommends adjustments such as removing cedar from the list of suitable replacement trees and limiting cash-in-lieu options for tree replacement, both of which have been integrated into the updated procedure.
"The town’s urban forest plays a critical role in mitigating the impacts of climate change and contributing to overall health and well-being of the community. Monitoring data reveals that we are on track toward meeting our canopy cover goal of 40 per cent by 2057, the year of our bicentennial," said Mayor Rob Burton.
For more details, residents can refer to the Updated Private Tree Protection By-law 2017-38 staff report from the March 25, 2024 Council meeting agenda.