---
title: Invermere tree removal rules and permits
question: "Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Invermere?"
place: Invermere, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/invermere
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Invermere
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/tree-removal/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/tree-removal.json"
---

# Invermere tree removal rules and permits

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

**Short answer:** In Invermere you need a permit under the Tree Removal Bylaw to cut a tree over 80 cm across, to log a parcel, near a lot line, road, watercourse or Windermere Lake, or more than 2 trees a year on slopes over 20%. The fee is $100 for each 50 trees or portion thereof.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Invermere, https://invermere.net)  
**Cost:** $100 for each 50 trees or portion thereof (bylaw s. 10(a)). No fee for dead, dying or unstable trees or a tree Council ordered cut as a hazard.  
**How long:** The District does not state a processing time.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, 914 8th Avenue, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: District office, 250-342-9281
- Phone: Planning (Director of Development Services), 250-342-9281 ext. 1235
- Email: Planning, planning@invermere.net

## Key facts

- **When a permit is needed:** A permit is needed to cut a tree over 80 cm across, to log a parcel, within 20 m of a road or trail lot line or 10 m of any other lot line, within 30 m of a watercourse or Windermere Lake, or more than 2 trees a year on slopes over 20%. Cutting in Environmental Protection Areas or a significant tree is prohibited.
  - Source: [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007, ss. 4-7](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)
  - Official wording: "(a) No person shall, without first obtaining a tree cutting permit, cut down a protected" … "tree." … "(b) No person shall cut down a tree growing on any land designated as an" … "(e) No person shall, without first obtaining a tree cutting permit, cut down any" … "i) within 20 metres of any lot line adjacent to or abutting a highway or" … "ii) within 10 metres of any other lot line." … "No person shall, without first obtaining a tree cutting permit, cut down a tree growing within 30" … "No person shall cut down a tree, without first obtaining a tree cutting permit," … "growing within 30 metres of the natural boundary of Windermere Lake." … "than 2 trees in any one calendar year growing on any steep slope that is not" … "(c) No person shall cut down a tree shown as "to be retained" on a plan" … "(c) No person shall cut down a significant tree designated as such under" … "The owner of a tree which, pursuant to this Bylaw, may not be cut down"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Exemptions:** A tree or limb severely damaged by a natural cause and in imminent danger of falling may be cut without a permit (s. 13). Dead, dying or unstable trees get a free permit (s. 12). Up to 3 trees per 0.4 ha in 12 months is not 'logging', but other rules still apply.
  - Source: [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007, ss. 2(h), 12, 13](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)
  - Official wording: "i) The cutting down of not more than 3 trees in any .4 hectares (1 acre)" … "area of land in a parcel for any reason in any 12 month period, or" … "ii) The cutting down of trees which are dead, diseased or damaged by" … "Notwithstanding any other provision in this Bylaw, a person may cut down a tree or" … "The tree or limb of the tree has been severely damaged by a natural cause," … "The tree or limb of the tree is in imminent danger of falling and injuring" … "(b) There shall be no charge for a permit issued under this section." … "The cutting down of not more than 3 trees in any .4 hectares (1 acre)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee:** $100 for each 50 trees or portion thereof (s. 10(a)); if the permit is not issued, the part above $75 is refunded. No fee for a permit to remove a tree the Council ordered cut as a hazard, or for dead, dying or unstable trees. (Sources differ: The bylaw's s. 10(a) says $100 per 50 trees, but its own Schedule A application form still lists a $25.00 application fee dated [1996]. The current Fees and Charges Bylaw (Schedules A to G, as amended) lists no tree permit fee. Value follows the bylaw text.)
  - Source: [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007, ss. 10(a), 11(e), 12(b); Schedule A](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)
  - Official wording: "The fee shall be $100.00 for each" … "50 trees or portion thereof except as otherwise permitted in this bylaw. If a" … "$25.00 application fee [1996]" … "(e) Where a tree cutting permit is required to carry out work required under this" … "section there shall be no application fee charged."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Replacement trees:** Anyone who cuts or damages a tree in breach of the bylaw or a permit must plant a replacement of the same species in about the same place, maintain it, and give security of 120% of the cost of replacing and maintaining it for 3 years.
  - Source: [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007, s. 14](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)
  - Official wording: "In addition to any other remedy, any person who cuts down or damages a tree in" … "Plant a replacement tree of the same species in approximately the same" … "Provide to the municipality security in the amount of 120% of the total cost" … "of replacing and maintaining the tree for a period 3 years"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **City trees:** None set. Invermere's Tree Removal Bylaw has no rule for District or boulevard trees.
- **Fine:** Municipal ticket: $250 for failing to get a tree cutting permit (s. 4); $500 for removing a significant tree (s. 8(c)); $150 for tree-damaging activities (s. 9(a)). A court fine can be up to $10,000.
  - Source: [Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 1130, Schedule I, Schedule I (Bylaw 1372, 2008)](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/61269/)
  - Official wording: "Fail to obtain a Tree 4 $250 Cutting Permit" … "Removal of Significant 8 (c) $500 Trees" … "Tree Damaging Activities 9 (a) $150"
  - Source: [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007, s. 16](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)
  - Official wording: "liable to a fine not exceeding $10, 000.00."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** The District of Invermere – Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007
  - Source: [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007, s. 1](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)
  - Official wording: "Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Invermere's [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/) protects trees by size and location. A "tree" is a woody plant 5 m or more tall or 10 centimetres or more in diameter; a protected tree is over 80 cm across, measured 1.5 m above ground.

A permit is needed to cut:
- a tree over 80 cm across;
- trees when logging a parcel;
- within 20 m of a road or trail lot line, or 10 m of any other lot line;
- within 30 m of a watercourse or Windermere Lake;
- more than 2 trees a year on slopes over 20%.

Cutting in an Environmental Protection Area, or cutting a designated significant tree, is prohibited.

## Steps

1. Check your lot against the distances above and your zone (see zoning-lookup).
2. Get the application form from the District office (250-342-9281) and apply before cutting.
3. Pay the fee: $100 for each 50 trees or portion thereof. If the permit is not issued, the part above $75 is refunded.

## Good to know

- A tree or limb severely damaged by a natural cause and in imminent danger of falling may be cut without a permit. Dead, dying or unstable trees get a free permit. Up to 3 trees per 0.4 ha in 12 months is not "logging", but other rules still apply.
- Cutting a tree marked "to be retained" on a development permit, or damaging roots, fill or soil inside a tree's drip line, is barred without a permit.
- Anyone who cuts or damages a tree in breach of the bylaw must plant a replacement of the same species in about the same place, maintain it, and give security of 120% of the cost for 3 years.
- A municipal ticket is $250 for cutting without a permit, $500 for removing a significant tree and $150 for tree-damaging activities. A court fine can be up to $10,000.
- The bylaw's own application form lists an older $25 fee; the bylaw text says $100. Ask the District to confirm. The Official Community Plan also sets development permit areas along Lake Windermere, creeks and rivers and on slopes over 20%; check before clearing.

## Official forms and pages

- [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007 (PDF)](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/)

## Related questions

- [Invermere building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/building-permit.md)
- [Invermere zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Invermere bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Tree removal permits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tree-removal.md)
- [Radium Hot Springs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/radium-hot-springs/tree-removal.md)
- [Canal Flats](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/tree-removal.md)
- [Kaslo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/tree-removal.md)
- [Elkford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/elkford/tree-removal.md)
- [Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/tree-removal.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/tree-removal.md)

## Sources

- [Tree Removal Bylaw No. 1347, 2007 (PDF), District of Invermere](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/135/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 1130, Schedule I (PDF), District of Invermere](https://invermere.civicweb.net/document/61269/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact Information, District of Invermere](https://invermere.net/operations/general/contact-information/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Invermere. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/invermere/tree-removal/_