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

# Fort St. John tree removal rules and permits

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

**Short answer:** Fort St. John has no tree protection bylaw, so the City sets no permit, fee or replacement rule for removing a tree on your own lot, according to its 2020 Urban Forest Strategy. Trees in parks and on boulevards are different, and the strategy may be out of date. Confirm with the City.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Fort St. John, https://www.fortstjohn.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: City of Fort St. John, 250-787-8150 (Ask Parks or Development Services.)

## Key facts

- **When a permit is needed:** The City's June 2020 Urban Forest Strategy says no tree protection bylaw currently exists.
  - Source: [Urban Forest Strategy, June 2020, Bylaws, Programs and Practices table](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/urban-forest-strategy-web)
  - Official wording: "No tree protection bylaw currently exists"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Exemptions:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Fee:** None set. According to its 2020 Urban Forest Strategy, the City sets no permit, fee or replacement rule for removing a tree on your own lot.
- **Replacement trees:** None set. According to its 2020 Urban Forest Strategy, the City sets no permit, fee or replacement rule for removing a tree on your own lot.
- **City trees:** Boulevard trees: no person may injure or damage any tree, shrub or hedge on a boulevard; the owner of the abutting parcel must keep boulevard hedges and trees trimmed and maintain the boulevard. On a highway, no one may damage, remove or plant trees or vegetation without a Road Use Permit. In parks, cutting down or removing trees is prohibited.
  - Source: [Property Standards Bylaw No. 2434, 2018, s. 11-12](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/property-standards-bylaw)
  - Official wording: "No person shall injure or damage any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge located" … "keeping hedges and trees trimmed to prevent visual obstruction or other"
  - Source: [Highway and Traffic Bylaw No. 2605, 2025, s. 36(b)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/highway-and-traffic-bylaw-no-2605-2025pdf)
  - Official wording: "cause damage to, remove or plant trees or vegetation on a Highway;" … "Except as specifically authorized by a Road Use Permit"
  - Source: [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 2615, 2025, s. 6.2](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/parks-and-open-spaces-bylaw-no-2615-2025pdf)
  - Official wording: "destroy, damage, cut down, top, deface, or remove any trees."
  - Source: [Trees on Boulevards Policy No. 107/07, Council Policy 107/07](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/107-trees-boulevards-policy)
  - Official wording: "the property owner is responsible for the maintenance and cleanup of the trees fronting their real"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** None set. The City's 2020 Urban Forest Strategy says no tree protection bylaw currently exists.
- **Bylaw:** None set. The City's 2020 Urban Forest Strategy says no tree protection bylaw currently exists.

## How it works

The City's June 2020 [Urban Forest Strategy](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/urban-forest-strategy-web) says no tree protection bylaw currently exists, and recommends adopting one. We found no City permit, fee, replacement-planting rule or fine for removing a tree on private land. The strategy is from 2020, so ask the City whether anything has changed.

## Steps

1. Confirm the tree is on your lot, not the boulevard, a highway or a park. See the property-lines answer.
2. If it is yours, call the City at 250-787-8150 to confirm no rule applies, for example from a development permit.
3. For a boulevard tree or a tree on a highway, check the rules below before cutting or planting.

## Good to know

- Boulevards: under the Property Standards Bylaw, no person may injure or damage any tree, shrub or hedge on a boulevard. The owner of the abutting parcel must keep boulevard hedges and trees trimmed and maintain the boulevard.
- On a highway, no one may damage, remove or plant trees or vegetation without a Road Use Permit ([Highway and Traffic Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/highway-and-traffic-bylaw-no-2605-2025pdf), s. 36).
- In parks, cutting down, topping or removing trees is prohibited ([Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/parks-and-open-spaces-bylaw-no-2615-2025pdf), s. 6.2).
- Under the Trees on Boulevards Policy, the City removes trees affecting its own right-of-way work at its expense and removes trees that fell from natural causes. The policy encourages residents not to plant poplar trees near sewer lines.

## Official forms and pages

- [Trees on Boulevards Policy 107/07 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/107-trees-boulevards-policy)
- [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw 2615, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/parks-and-open-spaces-bylaw-no-2615-2025pdf)
- [Urban Forest Strategy (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/urban-forest-strategy-web)

## Related questions

- [Fort St. John building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/building-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Tree removal permits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tree-removal.md)
- [Dawson Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/tree-removal.md)
- [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/tree-removal.md)
- [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal.md)
- [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/tree-removal.md)
- [Fort St James](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/tree-removal.md)
- [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/tree-removal.md)

## Sources

- [Building Permits (Planning and Engineering phone), City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/business-building-and-development/building/building-permits) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Urban Forest Strategy, June 2020 (PDF), City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/urban-forest-strategy-web) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Trees on Boulevards Policy No. 107/07 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/107-trees-boulevards-policy) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw No. 2615, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/parks-and-open-spaces-bylaw-no-2615-2025pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Highway and Traffic Bylaw No. 2605, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/highway-and-traffic-bylaw-no-2605-2025pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Property Standards Bylaw No. 2434, 2018 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/property-standards-bylaw) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 2 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 4 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Fort St. John. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/tree-removal/_