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

# Port Alice tree removal rules and permits

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

**Short answer:** In Port Alice the Village issues a Tree Cutting Permit under Tree Protection Bylaw No. 561, at $50 per tree. Which trees it covers could not be read. In Development Permit Areas, removing trees for development also needs a development permit. Call the Village.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Port Alice, https://portalice.ca)  
**Cost:** $50 per tree for a Tree Cutting Permit.  
**How long:** Not stated.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village office, 250-284-3391
- Email: Village office email, info@portalice.ca
- In person: Municipal Hall, 1061 Marine Drive, Port Alice, BC V0N 2N0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **When a permit is needed:** In the Development Permit Areas (Coastal or Shoreline, Riparian, Open Slope Hazard; OCP Map 9), a development permit is required before stripping and grading, which includes removal of trees and vegetation for development. The Village also issues a Tree Cutting Permit under Tree Protection Bylaw 561; which trees and properties it covers could not be read.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan (PDF, July 2023 version), OCP s. 6.2.1](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Port-Alice-OCP-Draft-v4.1-July10_2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "within all Development Permit Areas, property owners and developers must obtain a Development Permit prior to" … "stripping and grading, which includes removal of trees, vegetation, stripping and grading" … "Riparian Areas Protection" … "Open Slope Hazard"
  - Source: [Tree Cutting Permit Application](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2020-10-08-Tree-Cutting-Permit-Application.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Pursuant to the Village of Port Alice Tree Protection Bylaw 561"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Exemptions:** No development permit is required for removing trees determined by a certified arborist, registered professional forester or other qualified tree-risk professional to be an imminent safety risk (removal within a streamside area also needs prior authorization of Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Hazard-tree removal in emergencies is also exempt.
  - Source: [Official Community Plan (PDF, July 2023 version), OCP s. 6.3.6, 6.3.9](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Port-Alice-OCP-Draft-v4.1-July10_2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A Development Permit is not required for the removal of trees determined by a Certified Arborist or Registered Professional Forester" … "removal of hazard trees"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fee:** $50 per tree for a Tree Cutting Permit.
  - Source: [Tree Cutting Permit Application](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2020-10-08-Tree-Cutting-Permit-Application.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Permit Fees $50 per tree"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Replacement trees:** Not confirmed. Tree Protection Bylaw No. 561 is a scanned image that could not be read.
- **City trees:** Not confirmed. Tree Protection Bylaw No. 561 is a scanned image that could not be read.
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. Tree Protection Bylaw No. 561 is a scanned image that could not be read.
- **Bylaw:** Tree Protection Bylaw No. 561
  - Source: [Bylaws library, Bylaws library page](https://portalice.ca/town-hall/bylaws/)
  - Official wording: "561 Tree Protection Bylaw"
  - Source: [Tree Cutting Permit Application](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2020-10-08-Tree-Cutting-Permit-Application.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Pursuant to the Village of Port Alice Tree Protection Bylaw 561"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works
The Village of Port Alice issues a Tree Cutting Permit under [Tree Protection Bylaw No. 561](https://portalice.ca/town-hall/bylaws/). The permit is $50 per tree and is valid for one year from issue. The bylaw is a scanned image that could not be read, so this page cannot say which trees or properties it covers, whether replacement planting is required, or what the fine is.

Separately, in the Development Permit Areas (Coastal or Shoreline, Riparian, and Open Slope Hazard; Official Community Plan Map 9), a development permit is required before stripping and grading, which includes removing trees and vegetation for development.

## Steps
1. Phone the Village office at 250-284-3391 to ask whether your tree and lot are covered, and whether your property is in a Development Permit Area.
2. Fill in the Tree Cutting Permit Application. It records proof of insurance and a plan of the area.
3. Submit it at 1061 Marine Drive.

## Good to know
- No development permit is needed to remove a tree that a certified arborist, registered professional forester or other qualified tree-risk professional has determined to be an imminent safety risk; hazard-tree removal in emergencies is also exempt. A tree within a streamside area also needs prior authorization from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. These are exemptions from the development permit, not necessarily from the tree cutting permit.
- The sources do not say anything about trees on Village land; ask the Village.

## Official forms and pages

- [Tree Cutting Permit Application (PDF), Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2020-10-08-Tree-Cutting-Permit-Application.pdf)
- [Official Community Plan (PDF, July 2023 version), Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Port-Alice-OCP-Draft-v4.1-July10_2023.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Port Alice building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alice/building-permit.md)
- [Port Alice zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alice/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Tree removal permits in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tree-removal.md)
- [Port Hardy](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-hardy/tree-removal.md)
- [Alert Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/alert-bay/tree-removal.md)
- [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/tree-removal.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/tree-removal.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/tree-removal.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/tree-removal.md)

## Sources

- [Tree Cutting Permit Application (PDF), Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2020-10-08-Tree-Cutting-Permit-Application.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaws library, Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/town-hall/bylaws/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Official Community Plan (PDF, July 2023 version), Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Port-Alice-OCP-Draft-v4.1-July10_2023.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Port Alice](https://portalice.ca/contact/) (read 2026-11-08)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Port Alice. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alice/tree-removal/_