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Here you will find answers to common questions about the Public Tree Permit process. For general information on the Public Tree Bylaw and related requirements, visit Public Tree Permit.
If you have questions not found here, please contact 311 or email treepreservation@edmonton.ca.
A Public Tree Permit is a formal permission from the City of Edmonton to work around City trees, based on an approved plan outlining tree protection and/or preservation strategies.
If work is being planned within 5 meters of the trunk of a boulevard and open space tree or 10 meters of a natural stand boundary, an application for a Public Tree Permit must be submitted to the City of Edmonton. This Public Tree Permit is a requirement under the recently enacted Public Tree Bylaw 18825 .
Work is defined as construction, demolition, excavation or laydown activities or vehicular access, other than on roadways, driveways, improved trails.
A Public Tree Permit is a stand-alone permit and will be required in addition to other permits issued by the City.
Natural stand boundaries and boulevard and open space trees can be found on the Public Tree Permit Map.
Natural Stands
Trees located in a natural stand are typically surrounded by native vegetation growing in a more natural state. This includes natural areas that are relatively undisturbed by human activity and naturalized sites that are undergoing transformation from a highly-maintained to a more natural state. Some visual indications that a site might be undergoing naturalization are long grass, unpruned shrubs, or groups of native trees and shrubs that have been recently planted.
Boulevard and Open Space Trees
Are all trees on City-owned land that are not located in a natural stand. These trees are typically located in sites that are more highly-maintained such as hardscape, boulevards, mown grass or shrub beds.
Please note that it is strongly recommended to measure the distance between your work activity and City trees while in the field. Online maps often do not have the degree of accuracy necessary for these measurements.
The boundary of a natural stand is typically located at the point where the landscape transitions from highly maintained to a more natural state, such as where mowed grass transitions to tall grass and/or shrubs.
Note: there may not be a transition if infrastructure, such as a trail, is located directly next to a natural stand, in such cases, the boundary would be the edge of the infrastructure. Please contact 311 to reach an Urban Forester if you are not sure where the boundary is located.
The Public Tree Bylaw applies to:
Natural stand boundaries and boulevard and open space trees can be found on the Public Tree Permit Map.
If you are not sure if a tree is located on City-owned land, please contact 311 to reach an Urban Forester.
Either a developer, utility provider, homeowner, contractor or subcontractor can apply for a permit. Ultimately, the proponent conducting the work on-site will be responsible to ensure that a Public Tree Permit has been issued for their site.
It is advisable that you plan ahead and submit your permit application well in advance of your projected start date to avoid delays to your project plan.
Once submitted, an application will be reviewed within ten business days by an Urban Forester. If the submission meets all the requirements, a Public Tree Permit will be issued within ten business days. Applications that are missing information or require revisions will be sent back to the applicant with a request for revision and may delay approval. It is advisable that you plan ahead and submit your permit application well in advance of your projected start date to avoid delays to your project plan.
Extensions will be possible through the Self Service portal. Protection changes can be addressed with the Urban Forester who issued the permit.
Yes, the bylaw will apply to existing projects that are underway. Those projects will be required to obtain a Public Tree Permit for the remainder of the project once the bylaw comes into effect.
Public Tree Permit application and inspection fees will continue to be waived in 2024. Program and costing data from 2023 and 2024 will inform potential permitting fees for 2025 onward. The City continues to have the ability to levy fines and/or collect equitable compensation for damage to City-owned trees.
Additional fees may be applicable in the event of a change of scope in the project once work has begun.
All maintenance on City trees must be coordinated through a City of Edmonton Urban Forester with at least 10 business days notice. Costs associated with the required tree maintenance work are the responsibility of the permit holder.
A Tree Protection Plan is a plan to prevent tree damage by installing physical protection measures around City trees and their root zones. Tree Protection Plans are fairly simple to create and don’t require professional sign-off. Anyone can prepare and submit a Tree Protection Plan using our online Tree Protection Plan templates.
A Tree Preservation Plan includes the physical protection measures of a Tree Protection Plan, plus additional measures to mitigate the damage and stress of below-ground work, including actions to promote tree health prior to, during, and after the work activities. As Tree Preservation Plans are more in-depth and wider in scope, they require professional sign-off.
The requirement for a Tree Protection Plan versus a Tree Preservation Plan depends on the type of work you will be undertaking within 5m of a boulevard and open space tree or 10m of a natural stand boundary. A Tree Preservation Plan will be required if activities such as excavation or grade changes will occur. If no such work will be occurring, a Tree Protection Plan will suffice. If unsure which level of tree preservation/protection is required, please refer to the Tree Preservation Guidelines or contact 311 or treepreservation@edmonton.ca to reach a City of Edmonton Urban Forester.
City owned trees are assessed for condition and updated in the inventory every second year. If the tree is dead or in decline prior to the start of the project please contact 311 to arrange for an Urban Forester to assess the current condition of the tree.
If there are concerns that a tree may be rendered hazardous as a result of the project, please contact 311 or treepreservation@edmonton.ca to reach a City of Edmonton Urban Forester.
An Urban Forester will conduct a tree risk assessment and if the tree is deemed a hazard, the Live Tree Removal Guidelines may be considered. All costs for removal and asset loss will be covered by the Permit Holder. Community notification may be required.
It is expected that the Permit Holder will return the work area to the same condition that it was prior to work commencing. This is currently the expectation for all work on city boulevards, parkland and road right of way. In most cases, turf can be top dressed with a light layer of soil and seed. This is a current requirement of the Landscape Design & Construction Standards Volume 5 2021 (12.61 MB) .
A person found guilty of an offence under this bylaw is liable to a minimum fine of not less than $1000. For an offence under section 4.
Bylaw Officers will have the discretion to double fines daily, and Foresters can shut a site down if activities are egregiously damaging City property and can fine up to a maximum of $10,000 under the Municipal Governance Act.
The objective of the Public Tree Bylaw is tree preservation and protection. The fine amount is not intended to recover the value of tree loss or damage. If trees are damaged, equitable compensation for that loss may be pursued by the City in accordance with principles established in the Corporate Tree Management Policy.
Whoever applies for the Public Tree Permit is responsible to ensure that the conditions under the permit are being met at all times by anyone working on the site. If no permit has been issued, the bylaw applies to those conducting the work without a permit.
All suspected damage to City trees can be reported to 311 for follow up by an Urban Forester.
The bylaw is not intended to apply to homeowners doing routine maintenance on their own property such as mowing and gardening.
If a homeowner’s work requires vehicles or equipment to access the private property by crossing treed boulevards/parkland, a Tree Protection Plan will be required.
However, if other work, such as deck or garage construction, fence or irrigation system installation, is being conducted on private property that could impact City tree roots, homeowners should call 311 to consult with an Urban Forester to determine if a Public Tree Permit is required. An Urban Forester can also assess the impact on trees and recommend best practices to work safely around trees.
Other regulated activities include planting any tree, shrub, or other plants on City land; moving, removing, cutting, or damaging any City tree; pruning, cutting, repairing, or performing any other work on any City tree; or posting or attaching any object to a City tree without approval from the City Manager or delegates.
If you have concerns about whether an activity may impact a City tree, an Urban Forester will be happy to consult with you further.
Extension cords may be attached to a City tree without written permission, so long as it is safe to do so and the method of attachment will not harm the tree or interfere with tree maintenance activities (no penetrating nails, screws, staples or other hardware). An acceptable method of attachment includes loosely draping the extension cord over a tree branch and loosely wrapping it around the tree’s branch or trunk. Please note that annual checks should be done to ensure the extension cord is not wrapped too tightly and the tree has room to grow.
Birdhouses may be placed on a City tree without written permission, so long as it is safe to do so and loosely hanged from a tree branch. No nails, screws or wire should be used to attach a birdhouse to a City tree.
If other objects are to be attached to City trees, homeowners should call 311 to consult with an Urban Forester and determine if written permission is required. An Urban Forester can also assess the impact on trees and recommend best practices to work safely around trees.
Please note that Urban Forestry may need to remove the items if they interfere with tree maintenance.
If you are interested in planting a tree on City property, you must submit a formal application through the Request to Plant Program. Approval will be given based on a set of guidelines and requirements.
Planting trees on City property without approval could result in a fine under this bylaw. If a tree has been planted without formal approval, an Urban Forester will evaluate the site and tree conditions. If the tree meets all the City requirements, the resident will be required to submit a formal application through the Request to Plant Program. If it does not meet the requirements, you may be asked to remove the tree.
No. Trees that are still under the care of a developer or other project will be the developer’s responsibility to protect until the Final Acceptance Certificate is granted by the City. Any third-party damages are the responsibility of the developer.
Blanket permits are currently only considered for the utility and telecom industry. For a consultation on blanket permits, please contact Urban Forestry through 311.