--- title: Tumbler Ridge tree removal rules and permits question: "Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Tumbler Ridge?" place: Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/tumbler-ridge category: Building, renovating and your property owner: municipal owner_body: District of Tumbler Ridge sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal.json" --- # Tumbler Ridge tree removal rules and permits **Question:** Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Tumbler Ridge? **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. **Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Tumbler Ridge, https://www.districtoftumblerridge.ca) **Cost:** No tree permit fee found. **How long:** Not stated. **Where:** - In person: Town Hall, 305 Iles Way, Tumbler Ridge, BC V0C 2W0 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Phone: Town Hall, 250-242-4242 ## Key facts - **When a permit is needed:** 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. - Source: [Official Community Plan, OCP s. 5.7.1, 5.7.2](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/) - Official wording: "a development permit must be obtained when any of the following types of development activity occur in Development" … "alteration of land." - Source: [https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/, Building Bylaw s. 38.1, 38.3](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/) - Official wording: "land clearing and debris removed;" … "Approval required by Operations Manager." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Exemptions:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. - **Fee:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. - **Replacement trees:** None set. Tumbler Ridge's Zoning Bylaw sets no replacement rule for cut trees. - **City trees:** 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. - Source: [Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015, Traffic and Highways Bylaw No. 627, s. 35 (Part VII, Uses Requiring Permit)](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/) - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** $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. - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560, MTI Bylaw No. 560, traffic schedule](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/) - Official wording: "Excavate or remove highway or trees growing on highway 35.5 $100.00" … "Damage boulevard 35.2 $100.00" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** No tree bylaw found. Trees on streets: Traffic and Highways Bylaw No. 627, 2015, s. 35. - Source: [Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015, s. 35](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/) - Official wording: "Cause damage to, cut down or remove, trees," - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works We 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. Trees 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/). ## Steps 1. Before clearing in a mapped area, ask the District whether you need a development permit. Maps are at Town Hall. 2. For a street or boulevard tree, contact Town Hall (250-242-4242) for the Operations Manager's permit. ## Good to know - 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. - The Zoning Bylaw requires one tree to be planted for new houses, but it does not restrict cutting or set a replacement rule. - 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. ## Official forms and pages - [Official Community Plan (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/) - [Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/) - [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/) ## Related questions - [Tumbler Ridge zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/zoning-lookup.md) - [Tumbler Ridge building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/building-permit.md) - [Tumbler Ridge fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/fence-rules.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) - [Fort St. John](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/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 - [Official Community Plan (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/43955/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Traffic and Highway Regulation Bylaw No. 627, 2015 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/3484/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 560 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/28324/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/66310/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Building & Utilities Permit Applications, District of Tumbler Ridge](https://www.districtoftumblerridge.ca/p/-building-utilities) (read 2026-11-08) - [https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/](https://tumblerridge.civicweb.net/document/22989/) (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; 1 is recorded as not set; 2 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Tumbler Ridge. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/tree-removal/_