By CBC News Ottawa, August 22, 2019
The City of Ottawa is looking at toughening its tree bylaws to halt the worrying trend of urban deforestation, and that could include demanding compensation from developers and homeowners who flout the rules.
There are currently two separate tree bylaws, one dealing with trees on municipal property and another aimed at protecting trees on private property.
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(...)In an effort to "retain, replace and renew" the urban tree canopy, the discussion paper proposes several ideas including:
- Lowering the minimum diameter for "distinctive" trees from 50 centimetres.
- Developing "clear rules around permitting."
- Requiring a "permit to work around trees."
- Developing "tree compensation requirements."