---
title: Fernie tree removal rules and permits
question: "Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property?"
place: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/fernie
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Fernie
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fernie/tree-removal/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fernie/tree-removal.json"
---

# Fernie tree removal rules and permits

**Question:** Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property?

**Short answer:** The City of Fernie has no readable City-wide tree permit rule. Under its Official Community Plan, cutting trees counts as development, so a development permit is needed in watercourse areas (15 m, or 30 m on named creeks) and in hazard lands, including avalanche and flood areas. Park trees are protected.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Fernie, https://www.fernie.ca)  
**Cost:** No tree-removal permit fee is set. If a development permit is needed: Watercourse Protection $600 (parcel 1,400 m² or less) or $1,000 (larger); Hazard Lands steep slope or avalanche $600 (minor) or $1,000 (major). Work done before applying costs double.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Services, 250-423-2244
- Email: Bylaw Services, bylawservices@fernie.ca
- Email: Planning (for development permit areas), planning@fernie.ca

## Key facts

- **When a permit is needed:** No City-wide tree permit was found, but the OCP counts tree cutting and vegetation removal as 'development'. A development permit is needed in watercourse protection areas (15 m, or 30 m on the Elk River, Coal Creek, Lizard Creek and Fairy Creek) and in Hazard Lands areas: steep slopes, avalanche (Schedule K) and flood (Schedule L).
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2231, 2014, Definitions; 9-C.1; 9-C.1.1; 9-C.2.2](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/197509/)
  - Official wording: "Development: includes, but is not limited to:" … "d) tree cutting;" … "a) site clearing or removal of vegetation;" … "All development, including any disturbance to or clearing of existing soils and" … "vegetation, within the watercourse protection area (see Table 3) requires a Watercourse Protection Development Permit." … "A Hazard Lands Development Permit is required for any development within 15 metres" … "from either the toe or crest of a steep slope greater than 15%" … "9-C.2.19 No development is permitted on lands designated in Schedule ‘K’ without a Hazards Lands" … "9-C.2.21 No development of lands designated in Schedule ‘L’ permitted unless in accordance with" … "2) for parcels located on or adjacent to the Elk River, Coal Creek, Lizard Creek or Fairy Creek,"
  - Source: [Development Permits, When a Development Permit is required](https://www.fernie.ca/EN/main/city/departments-services/planning-development-services/development-permits.html)
  - Official wording: "The Official Community Plan (OCP) includes a series of maps (Schedules I to P) highlighting seven Development Areas that require a permit for construction or land alteration."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exemptions:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Fee:** No tree-removal permit fee is set. If a development permit is needed: Watercourse Protection permit $600 (parcel 1,400 m² or less) or $1,000 (larger); Hazard Lands steep slope or avalanche permit $600 (minor) or $1,000 (major).
  - Source: [Land Use Application Procedures and Fees Bylaw No. 2530, 2025, Appendix A](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/192693)
  - Official wording: "Watercourse Protection Development Permit (Minor) $600.00" … "Watercourse Protection Development Permit (Major) $1000.00" … "Hazard Lands Development Permit – Steep Slopes or Avalanche (Minor) $600.00" … "Hazard Lands Development Permit – Steep Slopes or Avalanche (Major) $1000.00" … "The fee for a Development Permit (Retroactive) shall be double the applicable fee as"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Replacement trees:** No set replacement-tree rule. In a watercourse protection permit, the City may require trees or vegetation to be planted or retained, or riparian replanting, as conditions. It may also require security to ensure landscaping conditions are met.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2231, 2014, 9-C.1.7; 9-C.1.9(4); 9-C.v](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/197509/)
  - Official wording: "jurisdiction may require vegetation or trees to be planted or retained in order to control" … "that the development permit applicant provide security to ensure that conditions respecting"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **City trees:** Parks and municipal facilities: no person may deface, cut, remove, destroy or damage a tree or shrub in any park or municipal facility (Bylaw 2484, s. 9.1(b)). No boulevard tree rule was found; trees or shrubs placed on City land are encroachments needing an Encroachment Agreement.
  - Source: [Encroachment Bylaw No. 2460, 2022, Definitions; Prohibitions](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/143198)
  - Official wording: "Shrubs, trees, or other organic materials" … "means collectively or individually, a road, reserve Parcel, or City owned parcel" … "All Encroachments within the City of Fernie shall be deemed to be prohibited and unauthorized unless an Encroachment Agreement is in place"
  - Source: [Municipal Facilities and Parks User Regulation and Fees Bylaw No. 2484, 2023, Part 9, s. 9.1(b)](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/167923/)
  - Official wording: "b) Deface, cut, remove, destroy, or damage a tree, shrub, structure, building, or other things,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. No ticket amount for cutting a private tree without a development permit is listed.
- **Bylaw:** Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2231, 2014 (development permit areas, where tree cutting counts as development). The City also lists Dangerous Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1397, 1985, whose text could not be read.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2231, 2014, Title page](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/197509/)
  - Official wording: "BYLAW NO. 2231, 2014"
  - Source: [Bylaws, Bylaws list](https://fernie.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=564)
  - Official wording: "Dangerous Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1397, 1985"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City of Fernie lists no tree protection bylaw that could be read. The one tree bylaw on its list, Dangerous Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1397 (1985), is a scanned document whose text could not be read, so this answer does not describe it. The [Official Community Plan](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/197509/) (a policy bylaw) counts tree cutting and vegetation removal as "development". A development permit is therefore needed in:

- **Watercourse protection areas:** 15 m from a watercourse, or 30 m on the Elk River, Coal Creek, Lizard Creek and Fairy Creek.
- **Hazard Lands areas:** steep slopes, avalanche areas (OCP Schedule K) and flood areas (Schedule L).

## Steps

1. Check OCP Schedules I (watercourses), J (slope), K (avalanche) and L (flood) to see whether your lot is in a Development Permit Area.
2. If it is, contact Planning (planning@fernie.ca) before cutting and apply for the development permit.
3. If it is not, no City-wide tree permit was found. Ask Bylaw Services (250-423-2244) before you cut, including for any hazard tree.

## Good to know

- **Fees:** the sources set no fee for cutting a tree. A permit applied for after work has begun is a retroactive permit at double the fee. Floodplain permits are $400 (minor) or $600 (major).
- **Replacement:** there is no set replacement-tree rule. In a watercourse permit the City may require trees or vegetation to be planted or kept, or riparian replanting, and may require security to ensure landscaping conditions are met.
- **Park trees:** under [Bylaw 2484](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/167923/) s. 9.1(b), no one may deface, cut, remove, destroy or damage a tree or shrub in a park or municipal facility. The municipal ticket under [Bylaw 2041](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/55199) is $1,000.
- **City boulevards:** no boulevard tree rule was found. Trees or shrubs placed on City land are encroachments needing an [Encroachment Agreement](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/143198). Contact Bylaw Services before cutting or planting there.
- No ticket amount for cutting a private tree without a development permit is listed.

## Official forms and pages

- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2231, 2014 (PDF)](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/197509/)
- [Development Permits page](https://www.fernie.ca/EN/main/city/departments-services/planning-development-services/development-permits.html)
- [Encroachment Bylaw No. 2460, 2022 (PDF)](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/143198)

## Related questions

- [Fernie unsightly property rules and how to report](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fernie/unsightly-property.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Tree removal permits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tree-removal.md)
- [Sparwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sparwood/tree-removal.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/tree-removal.md)
- [Elkford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/tree-removal.md)
- [Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/tree-removal.md)
- [Canal Flats](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/tree-removal.md)
- [Creston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/tree-removal.md)

## Sources

- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2231, 2014 (PDF), City of Fernie](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/197509/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Development Permits, City of Fernie](https://www.fernie.ca/EN/main/city/departments-services/planning-development-services/development-permits.html) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Land Use Application Procedures and Fees Bylaw No. 2530, 2025 (PDF), City of Fernie](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/192693) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Facilities and Parks User Regulation and Fees Bylaw No. 2484, 2023 (PDF), City of Fernie](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/167923/) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 2041 (PDF), City of Fernie](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/55199) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Encroachment Bylaw No. 2460, 2022 (PDF), City of Fernie](https://fernie.civicweb.net/document/143198) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services, City of Fernie](https://www.fernie.ca/EN/main/residents/city-services/bylaw-services-business-licences.html) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaws, City of Fernie document library](https://fernie.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=564) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 2 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Fernie. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fernie/tree-removal/_