{"title":"Valemount tree removal rules and permits","question":"Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my property in Valemount?","slug":"tree-removal","place":{"path":"ca/bc/valemount","name":"Valemount","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 Valemount","url":"https://valemount.ca"},"short_answer":"Valemount has no tree bylaw and no stand-alone tree-cutting permit for private land that we could find. In a Development Permit Area, removing trees and vegetation for development needs a development permit first. Dead or dying trees are exempt.","aliases":["cut down tree valemount","tree removal permit valemount","tree bylaw valemount","hazard tree valemount"],"cost":"A development permit costs $200, where one is required. No tree-cutting fee was found.","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"email","label":"Land Use Planner","value":"planner@valemount.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250.566.4435"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843, 2021 (PDF)","url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/95014/"},{"title":"Development Permit Application (PDF)","url":"https://valemount.ca//wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Development_permit_application.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Valemount zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Valemount building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/building-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/clearwater","name":"Clearwater","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/wells","name":"Wells","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/wells/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/100-mile-house","name":"100 Mile House","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/barriere","name":"Barriere","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/williams-lake","name":"Williams Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/tree-removal/"},{"place":"ca/bc/quesnel","name":"Quesnel","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/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 stand-alone tree-cutting permit for private land was found. In a Development Permit Area, a development permit is needed before stripping and grading, which includes removing trees and vegetation for development. The Environmental DPA (Map 6) covers land within 30 m of streams and slopes over 20%.","short":"No stand-alone permit; development permit areas","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/95014/","title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843, 2021 (PDF), Village of Valemount","section":"s. 7.2.1(c)","quotes":["Stripping and Grading, which includes","removal of trees, vegetation, stripping","7.3.4. All lands within 30 meters from the natural","7.3.9. Steep slopes, understood to be lands with a"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"exemptions":{"label":"Exemptions","value":"No development permit is needed for the removal of dead or dying trees, pruning of undergrowth, or supplementing or maintaining natural existing vegetation. Accessory buildings under 47 m² (500 ft²) are also exempt from a development permit.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/95014/","title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843, 2021 (PDF), Village of Valemount","section":"s. 7.2.2(g), (b)","quotes":["The removal of dead or dying trees, pruning of undergrowth, supplementing or maintaining natural existing vegetation.","Accessory buildings less than 47"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fee":{"label":"Fee","value":"$200 for a development permit, where one is required.","short":"$200 if development permit needed","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/96759/","title":"Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 869, 2023 (PDF), Village of Valemount","section":"Schedule F","quotes":["Planning and Development Fees Planning and Development Fee: Development Permit $200 Development Variance Permit $450 Temporary Use Permit $650"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"replacement":{"label":"Replacement trees","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"city_trees":{"label":"City trees","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"No tree bylaw. Rules come through the Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843, 2021, section 7 (Development Permit Areas)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/95014/","title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843, 2021 (PDF), Village of Valemount","section":"s. 7.2","quotes":["7.2. DPA REQUIREMENTS & EXEMPTIONS"]},{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/108/","title":"Valemount - Document Center","section":"Bylaw directory","quotes":["Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843_CONSOLIDATED 2026 2026-02-09"]}],"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 Valemount has no tree bylaw. Its rules come through section 7 (Development Permit Areas) of the [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/95014/). In a Development Permit Area, a development permit is needed before stripping and grading, which includes removing trees and vegetation for development. The Environmental Development Permit Area covers land within 30 m of streams and slopes over 20%.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Ask the Land Use Planner (planner@valemount.ca or 250.566.4435) whether your lot is in a Development Permit Area.\n2. If it is, apply for a development permit before removing trees.\n3. If it is not, no tree-cutting permit was found, but ask before you cut.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- No development permit is needed to remove dead or dying trees, prune undergrowth, or supplement or maintain natural existing vegetation. Accessory buildings under 47 m² (500 ft²) are also exempt from a development permit.\n- The Village's Good Neighbour Bylaw requires owners to remove trees that create a safety hazard.\n- No replacement planting rule, rule for trees on Village land or boulevards, or fine for cutting trees without a permit was found. Ask the Village Office.\n- The Official Community Plan copy on the Village site is marked as a draft on its map pages. Confirm the current version with the Village.","sources":[{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/95014/","title":"Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 843, 2021 (PDF), Village of Valemount","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/96759/","title":"Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 869, 2023 (PDF), Village of Valemount","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://valemount.ca/services/community-planning-development-subdivision/","title":"Community Planning, Development and Subdivision, Village of Valemount","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://valemount.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/108/","title":"Valemount - Document Center","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/valemount/tree-removal/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/tree-removal.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/tree-removal.json"}}