{"title":"Montrose tree removal rules and permits","question":"Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Montrose?","slug":"tree-removal","place":{"path":"ca/bc/montrose","name":"Montrose","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca"},"short_answer":"No Montrose bylaw we found requires a permit to cut a tree on private land. Boulevard trees and trees in streets, parks and public spaces cannot be cut or damaged without Village permission. The Official Community Plan may require a development permit in some areas; ask the Village Office.","aliases":["cut down tree montrose","tree removal montrose bc","tree bylaw montrose","boulevard tree montrose"],"cost":"No tree permit or fee found.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Village Office","value":"565 11th Ave., Montrose, BC V0G 1P0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed statutory holidays)"},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-367-7234"},{"type":"email","label":"Village Office","value":"admin@montrose.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf"},{"title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 669, 2008, Schedule A (PDF), Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Montrose zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Montrose building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/building-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/fruitvale","name":"Fruitvale","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/rossland","name":"Rossland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/castlegar","name":"Castlegar","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/nelson","name":"Nelson","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/grand-forks","name":"Grand Forks","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/tree-removal/"}],"topic":{"title":"Tree removal permits in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tree-removal/"},"facts":{"permit_needed":{"label":"When a permit is needed","value":"No tree-cutting bylaw found. The Village's 2008 Official Community Plan (Bylaw #669) treats cutting down trees or other vegetation as a change needing a development permit inside its development permit areas (steep slope, core commercial, multiple-unit residential). The current OCP #763 could not be read; ask the Village Office.","short":"No tree bylaw; development permit in mapped areas","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf","title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 669, 2008, Schedule A (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 4.2","quotes":["removal or soil and fill, and removal or cutting down of trees or other vegetation. In order to"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"exemptions":{"label":"Exemptions","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"fee":{"label":"Fee","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"replacement":{"label":"Replacement trees","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"city_trees":{"label":"City trees","value":"No one may damage or alter a boulevard or any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge on a boulevard without Village permission, or cut, remove or damage any tree in a street, park or public space. Council may approve pruning public trees to preserve views if a tree service does it at the owner's cost.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"ss. 6.2(a), 9.1(h)","quotes":["willfully injure, damage, or alter, any boulevard or any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge","cut, remove or damage any tree, shrub or flower plant, bush or hedge;"]},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/6300-Tree-Pruning-Policy.pdf","title":"Tree Pruning Policy 6300 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"Policy #6300","quotes":["To approve the pruning of trees requested by property owners on the condition","that the property owner assume the cost of pruning and clean-up."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"No tree permit is required on private land, so no ticket for cutting without one. For boulevard and public-space trees the Good Neighbour Bylaw sets no ticket amount: on summary conviction the Offence Act maximum fine applies, with up to 90 days in jail, or both.","short":"No ticket; Offence Act maximum applies","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 13.3","quotes":["to a maximum fine as identified in the Offence Act, and in the case of a conviction a term of"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Good Neighbour Bylaw #779, 2024 (boulevard and public-space trees only). No private-land tree bylaw found.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"ss. 6.2, 9.1","quotes":["Village of Montrose Good Neighbor Bylaw #779"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":7,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":0,"unknown":3},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe Village of Montrose has no tree-cutting bylaw for private land that we could find. The Village's 2008 [Official Community Plan](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf) (Bylaw 669) treats cutting down trees or other vegetation as a change needing a development permit inside its development permit areas (steep slope, core commercial and multiple-unit residential). The current plan, Bylaw 763, could not be read, so check with the Village Office whether your lot is in one of these areas.\n\n## Village trees\n\nUnder the [Good Neighbour Bylaw 779](https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf), no one may damage or alter a boulevard, or any tree, shrub, plant, bush or hedge on a boulevard, without Village permission, or cut, remove or damage any tree in a street, park or public space. Council may approve pruning public trees to preserve views if a tree service does it at the owner's cost.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Under the Village's Tree Hazard Management Policy, if dead-looking branches from a private tree reach public space, the Public Works Foreman gives the owner seven days' notice to remove them, then the Village removes them.\n- The Good Neighbour Bylaw sets no ticket amount for trees. On summary conviction the Offence Act maximum fine applies, with up to 90 days in jail, or both.\n- No replacement planting, fee or exemption list was found.\n- Contact the Village Office on 250-367-7234 or admin@montrose.ca.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-02-08-Montrose-Good-Neighbour-Bylaw-FINAL.pdf","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/669_OfficialCommunityPlan2008ScheduleA.pdf","title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 669, 2008, Schedule A (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/6300-Tree-Pruning-Policy.pdf","title":"Tree Pruning Policy 6300 (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/permits-and-licenses/","title":"Permits and Licenses, Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/contacts/","title":"Contacts, Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 3 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/tree-removal/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/tree-removal.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/tree-removal.json"}}