The City of Guelph is updating our Private Tree Protection Bylaw and we want to hear from you. We’re gathering community feedback about the four feasible options to update the bylaw. Details about the four options are below.

Survey

Please take 10 minutes to complete the survey on the City’s Have Your Say page by May 27, 2024. The survey includes questions about the four feasible options, equity considerations, and potentially regulating replacement trees.

In-person and virtual sessions

Join us for an interactive session:

• In-person pop-up: Saturday, May 4, 10:30 a.m.‒1:30 p.m. at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre, 151 Victoria Road North.
• Virtual information session: Wednesday, May 8, 6:30‒8 p.m. Please register at haveyoursay.guelph.ca/tree-bylaw to participate.
• In-person pop-up: Saturday, May 11, 8 a.m.‒1 p.m. at the Guelph Farmer’s Market, 2 Gordon Street.
• In-person information session: Tuesday, May 14, 6:30‒8 p.m. at Guelph City Hall, Room C, 1 Carden Street.

Four feasible options to update Guelph’s private tree bylaw

The four options for updating Guelph’s private tree bylaw are described below. Options 1 and 2 would apply to select private property owners, whereas Options 3 and 4 would apply to all private property owners.

Option 1: Same as current bylaw

• What’s regulated: Trees of at least 10 cm in diameter on lots greater than 0.2 hectares (i.e., larger properties – 0.5 acres or 21,500 square feet)
• Who it affects: Owners of large private lots who want to remove trees
• Community value: Captures about half (50 per cent) of the city’s tree canopy cover
• Community cost: No new costs expected (i.e., can be implemented with available staffing)

Option 2: Somewhat expanded

• What’s regulated: Trees of at least 10 cm in diameter on lots greater than 0.1 hectares (i.e., “semi-large” properties – 0.25 acres or 10,750 square feet)
• Who it affects: Owners of semi-large private lots who want to remove trees
• Community value: Captures over half (about 55 per cent) of the city’s tree canopy cover
• Community cost: No new costs expected (i.e., can be implemented with available staffing)

Option 3: Significantly expanded

• What’s regulated: Trees at least 20 cm in diameter on all lots, no matter the size
• Who it affects: Any private property owner who wants to remove a semi-mature or mature tree
• Community value: Captures about 69 per cent of the city’s tree canopy cover
• Community cost: Significant new costs for bylaw administration and enforcement

Option 4: Current bylaw plus mature trees everywhere

• What’s regulated: Option 1 (current by law scope) plus trees of at least 50 cm in diameter (mature trees) on all lots, no matter what size
• Who it affects: Potentially all private property owners who wish to remove trees, but large property owners would be more affected than small property owners
• Community value: Captures half to two-thirds of the city’s tree canopy cover (50 to 69 per cent). Note: This range reflects the uncertainty around how much of the canopy will not be captured by excluding trees 10 to 49 cm in diameter on lots less than 0.2 hectares.
• Community cost: Significant new costs for bylaw administration and enforcement

Next steps

Feedback from the survey, community pop-up events, targeted focus groups, workshops, and virtual and in-person information sessions will be summarized in a report and shared with Council and the community later in 2024.

The updated private tree bylaw is expected to be presented to Council for approval in 2025.