East Gwillimbury Tree Removal Permit: Rules, Fees & Arborist Reports

East Gwillimbury protects private trees 20 cm and larger

East Gwillimbury’s Private Tree By-law 2024-077 is one of the newest in York Region, in force since November 2024. It protects private trees 20 cm or larger in diameter, measured 1.37 metres above grade, and covers qualifying neighbouring trees within 6 metres of the subject site as well.

Much of East Gwillimbury sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine. There, O. Reg. 140/02 prohibits development and site alteration inside a key natural heritage feature, such as a wetland or significant woodland, or inside its 30 m vegetation protection zone, except for listed uses. An application for development or site alteration within 120 m of the feature, but outside it and its zone, needs a natural heritage evaluation. Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) review is required in its regulated areas, on top of the Town permit.

The Private Tree By-law

By-law 2024-077 applies to private trees 20 cm+ DBH and qualifying neighbouring trees within 6 m of the property line. York Region’s Forest Conservation By-law 2013-68 layers on top for woodlands of 1 hectare or more and woodlots of 0.2 to 1 hectare.

What Requires a Permit

• Removing or injuring any private tree 20 cm+ DBH
• Removing or injuring a qualifying neighbouring tree
• Grade change or compaction within a tree’s Tree Protection Zone, which the bylaw treats as a prohibited act

Exemptions

• Up to 3 live, healthy trees in a one-year period, each 30 cm DBH or less (s. 4.1(a))
• Dead, dying, or hazardous trees
• Listed invasive species: Norway Maple, Manitoba Maple, Buckthorn, Black Locust, Autumn Olive, Glossy Buckthorn, European Black Alder, Invasive Honeysuckles, Scots Pine, White Mulberry
• Emergency situations posing immediate safety risk
• Normal farm practice, up to 5 trees per 50 acres per year with a valid Farm Business Registration number

Tree Protection Zones

By-law 2024-077 sets no protection zone distance. A permit can require hoarding around the trees that stay, with plans that show where the hoarding goes and what it is made of, to the Administrator’s satisfaction. Compaction or re-grading inside a tree protection zone, up to any existing paved surface, counts as destroying the tree under the bylaw, and so does storing materials there.

How to Apply for a Tree Removal Permit

Step 1: Confirm the Diameter and Check LSRCA Status

Measure at 1.37 m above grade. For a tree with several stems, the by-law’s definition of diameter is the total of the diameters of all stems at 1.37 m, or an alternate method the Designated Official approves. If the property is near a watercourse or on the Oak Ridges Moraine, we check LSRCA’s regulated-area map before we plan the removal.

Step 2: Hire a Qualified Report Author

The Town requires the report follow ISA ANSI 300 Part 9 (Tree Risk Assessment Best Management Practices) and be signed by an ISA Certified Arborist, Registered Professional Forester, or Registered Consulting Arborist. Reports must follow the Town’s 2012 Arborist Report Guidelines: 9 required sections covering site description, tree resource description, development concept, probable impacts, retention and protection measures, workplan, certification, limiting conditions, and a set of required appendices.

Step 3: Submit the Application

There is no application fee under By-law 2024-077.

Step 4: Town Review

Permits, once issued, are valid for one year.

Replacement Requirements

The by-law itself sets no replacement ratio. In practice the Town uses the Aggregate DBH Method from its Parks Design Standards, described in staff report PRC2024-15: the sum of all removed trees’ diameters in centimetres, divided by 6, sets the number of replacement trees required. Each replacement is a minimum 60mm caliper deciduous or 200cm height coniferous tree. Where on-site planting isn’t feasible, cash-in-lieu is payable to the Replacement Tree Planting Fund at $575.00 per tree (2026 rate). A farm and forest exception allows a simpler 1:1 ratio for owner-operated farms under normal farm practices.

Penalties

Fines range from $250 to $25,000 for an individual’s first conviction, up to $500 to $50,000 for a subsequent one. Corporations face $5,000 to $50,000 for a first conviction and $10,000 to $100,000 for a subsequent one, with a special fine of up to $100,000 where economic gain was the motive. Unpaid costs carry a 15% annual lien registered on title.

Working with The Arborist Group

We set protection zones and calculate Aggregate DBH replacement obligations to the Town’s current standard, prepare the arborist report the Town asks for, and flag early when a property’s Oak Ridges Moraine location means the project needs a natural heritage evaluation.