Protection
Urban tree conservation by-law
The Urban Tree Conservation By-law applies to private land within the urban area of the City of Ottawa plus specific adjacent rural areas recommended by staff for inclusion within the urban boundary, including a small area in the east end along the Ottawa River, between the urban boundary and Ted Kelly Lane. These areas are shown on Schedules C through H of the by-law.
The by-law currently doesn't apply to any other property in the rural area, nor does it apply to normal farming practices, orchards, tree farms, golf courses, or cemeteries anywhere in the city.
There are two main sections in the by-law:
- Large Property Component -- For properties greater than one hectare in size, landowners must have a City-approved Tree Conservation Report before trees over 10 centimetres in diameter can be cut down. .
- Small Property Component -- For properties one hectare or less in size, if a landowner wants to remove a tree that is greater than 50 centimetres (20 inches) in diameter, they must obtain a Distinctive Tree Permit from the City.
Learn more about the City’s tree conservation report guidelines and urban tree conseervation.
For more information: urbantree@ottawa.ca, or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).
Measuring your tree
Find out how to measure the diameter of a tree.
Tree permit costs
For properties greater than one hectare, if the tree removal is a part of a development application, the tree permit fee is included in the development application fee.If the tree removal is not part of a development application, the tree permit fee is $100. For properties one hectare or less, there is no charge for the tree permit.
Find out what you need to do in order to remove a distinctive tree.
Offences under the by-law
Under the by-law, an offence may include destruction of a tree or injuring a tree without a permit, failing to protect a tree that is identified for protection in the permit conditions, or failing to comply with a stop work order.
Penalties
If convicted of an offence, the penalties range from a minimum fine of $500 to a maximum fine of $100,000. For failing to adhere to a stop work order, the minimum fine is $500 and the maximum fine is $100,000 for each day or part of a day that the offence continues; in this case the total of all daily fines is not limited to $100,000.
Municipal tree protection
Find out about the Municipal Trees and Natural Areas Protection by-law and the City’s tree inventory program.