{"title":"Tumbler Ridge tree removal rules and permits","question":"Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Tumbler Ridge?","slug":"tree-removal","place":{"path":"ca/bc/tumbler-ridge","name":"Tumbler Ridge","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":"District of Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://www.districtoftumblerridge.ca"},"short_answer":"Tumbler Ridge has no tree-cutting bylaw for private land that we found. In mapped Aquifer Protection and Hazardous Lands areas, altering land needs a development permit, and the plan does not say whether cutting trees counts. A permit is needed to cut street trees.","aliases":["tree removal tumbler ridge","cut down tree tumbler ridge","boulevard tree tumbler ridge","tree bylaw tumbler ridge"],"cost":"No tree permit fee found.","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Town Hall","value":"305 Iles Way, Tumbler Ridge, BC V0C 2W0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."},{"type":"phone","label":"Town Hall","value":"250-242-4242"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Official Community Plan (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/"},{"title":"Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/"},{"title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/"}],"related":[{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Tumbler Ridge zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Tumbler Ridge building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/building-permit/"},{"slug":"fence-rules","title":"Tumbler Ridge fence rules: permits and height limits","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/fence-rules/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/dawson-creek","name":"Dawson Creek","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/pouce-coupe","name":"Pouce Coupe","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fort-st-john","name":"Fort St. John","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-george","name":"Prince George","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fort-st-james","name":"Fort St James","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/vanderhoof","name":"Vanderhoof","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/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 for private land. In the mapped Aquifer Protection and Hazardous Lands development permit areas, 'alteration of land' needs a development permit; the OCP does not say whether cutting trees counts. Land clearing for construction needs the Operations Manager's approval.","short":"No tree bylaw; unclear in mapped areas","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/","title":"Official Community Plan (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","section":"OCP s. 5.7.1, 5.7.2","quotes":["a development permit must be obtained when any of the following types of development activity occur in Development","alteration of land."]},{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/","title":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/","section":"Building Bylaw s. 38.1, 38.3","quotes":["land clearing and debris removed;","Approval required by Operations Manager."]}],"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":"none","note":"Tumbler Ridge's Zoning Bylaw sets no replacement rule for cut trees.","sources":[]},"city_trees":{"label":"City trees","value":"A permit from the Operations Manager is needed to cut down or remove trees or timber growing on a highway (street), including boulevard trees, or to damage or remove trees, grass, shrubs or hedges planted or maintained by the District on a highway.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/","title":"Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","section":"Traffic and Highways Bylaw No. 627, s. 35 (Part VII, Uses Requiring Permit)","quotes":["Except as authorized by a permit issued by the Operations Manager pursuant to","Cause damage to, cut down or remove, trees,","cut down or remove trees or timber growing on a highway"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"$100 for removing trees growing on a highway or damaging a boulevard (Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw, traffic schedule, s. 35.2 and 35.5). No ticket was found for cutting trees on private land.","short":"No private-land ticket; highway trees $100","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","section":"MTI Bylaw No. 560, traffic schedule","quotes":["Excavate or remove highway or trees growing on highway 35.5 $100.00","Damage boulevard 35.2 $100.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"No tree bylaw found. Trees on streets: Traffic and Highways Bylaw No. 627, 2015, s. 35.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/","title":"Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","section":"s. 35","quotes":["Cause damage to, cut down or remove, trees,"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":7,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":1,"unknown":2},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nWe found no tree-cutting bylaw for private land in Tumbler Ridge. In the mapped Aquifer Protection and Hazardous Lands development permit areas of the [Official Community Plan](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/), \"alteration of land\" needs a development permit. The plan does not say whether cutting trees counts. Land clearing for construction needs the Operations Manager's approval.\n\nTrees on the street are different. A permit from the Operations Manager is needed to cut down or remove trees or timber growing on a highway (street), including boulevard trees, or to damage or remove trees, grass, shrubs or hedges planted or maintained by the District on a highway. This is in the [Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/).\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Before clearing in a mapped area, ask the District whether you need a development permit. Maps are at Town Hall.\n2. For a street or boulevard tree, contact Town Hall (250-242-4242) for the Operations Manager's permit.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Removing trees growing on a highway or damaging a boulevard is a $100 municipal ticket ([Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/)). No ticket was found for cutting trees on private land.\n- The Zoning Bylaw requires one tree to be planted for new houses, but it does not restrict cutting or set a replacement rule.\n- The District sets no tree permit fee that we found. Land clearing done without a building permit carries a $2,000 refundable deposit under the building bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/","title":"Official Community Plan (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/","title":"Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/66310/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.districtoftumblerridge.ca/p/-building-utilities","title":"Building & Utilities Permit Applications, District of Tumbler Ridge","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/","title":"https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/","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; 1 is recorded as not set; 2 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal.json"}}