Tree removal in Vancouver could require security deposit

Getting rid ofgreenery in Vancouver could cost property owners a lot of green.

City Council proposed a "security deposit" system today for tree replacement. The deposit would be payable by anyone cutting down a tree on their property.

The proposal calls for deposits of $500 for removing a tree less than eight centimetres in diameter and $750 for a tree wider than eight centimetres. To get the money back, a property owner must plant a new tree and make sure it's maintained for a full year.

Currently, the city estimates 25 percent to 35 percent of new replacement trees die or are removed within a year of being planted.

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"We were finding that people, even though there might be a requirement in their building permit to retain trees, we were finding that either they weren't, or that they were replanting them but the trees weren't living," Coun. Andrea Reimer told On the Coast host Stephen Quinn.

"Security deposits is an approach that's been used by Burnaby, Surrey, District of North Vancouver and White Rock and it seems like it would make a lot of sense here as well."

The City estimates Vancouver's tree canopy has declined from 22.5 per cent in 1995 to 18 per cent in 2013, and most of this decline is due to tree removal on private property, either by homeowners or people redeveloping a property.

Reimer says she hopes the City collects no money from the program because they've paid back everyone who paid the deposit, but any money not paid back will be used to provide cheaper trees for people who want to do more planting on their property.

Reimer says City Council will vote on the security deposits on Dec. 16.

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:Vancouver wants to fight tree losses with security deposits