Public Tree By-law
Trees on boulevards are public property and an important part of City infrastructure.
By-Law 008-2005 (and amendment 144-2006)
The purpose of this By-law is to authorize and regulate the planting, care, maintenance, protection, preservation and removal of public trees on municipal property. It is intended to protect public trees, and preserve and grow the Urban Forest.
Tree By-law and amendment
Adobe PDF, 16 pages, 1.02MB
To find out if a tree is on municipal or private property, use the City of Thunder Bay's on-line map. Call the Parks Division if you are still unsure.
The importance of the Urban Forest
Urban forestry is the sustained planning, planting, protection, maintenance and care of trees, forests, greenspace and related resources in and around our communities. Trees on public and private lands beautify our community, increase civic pride and enhance our sense of well-being.
Over the past decade, the Parks Division and Trees Thunder Bay have raised political and public awareness of the need to protect and increase our urban forest. Trees are “green infrastructure.” Trees raise property values, have monetary value, clean the air and store carbon, reduce soil erosion, provide shade, act as wind and sound barriers and are home to a wide variety of birds, insects and animals. Trees produce enough oxygen on one acre of land for 18 people every day.
The 2011 Urban Forest Management Plan used ITree software to provide an estimate of the amount of Greenhouse gases being absorbed or avoided by the urban forest (street trees). It found that the annual benefits of the urban street trees were: Electrical Savings 2,383 MW, Gas Savings 319,000 Therms, Absorption (of pollutants) 13,525kg, Reduction of CO2 2,500,00kg.
Call 625-2195 before building or landscaping near municipal trees or to request approval to plant or do minor trimming on a boulevard tree. It is an offence to remove, damage, deface or injure public trees.
