Arborist Report King Township: Tree Permit Requirements & 2-Day Turnaround

Understanding King Township’s Tree Protection

King Township is the rare GTA municipality with no private tree bylaw. A proposed bylaw covering individual trees went to Council in 2019 and was rejected; nothing has replaced it since. If a single tree on your property sits outside a qualifying woodland or woodlot, there is currently no permit required to remove it, at any diameter.

That doesn’t mean King is unregulated. York Region’s Forest Conservation By-law 2013-68 applies township-wide and protects treed areas of 0.2 hectares or more once they meet a density threshold, regardless of individual tree size. Township staff also review removals of municipal trees on parkland or road allowances under a separate, older by-law. Nearly 70 percent of King sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine, which layers provincial conformance requirements on top of the regional bylaw for a lot of rural and estate properties.

Where the York Region Bylaw Applies

A treed area qualifies as a woodland (1 hectare or more) or a woodlot (0.2 to 1 hectare) based on tree density, not diameter: for example, a woodland needs at least 1,000 trees of any size per hectare, or as few as 250 trees over 20 cm DBH per hectare. Cultivated orchards and Christmas tree plantations are excluded from these thresholds.

What Requires a Permit

• Removing trees from a qualifying woodland (1+ ha) or woodlot (0.2 to 1 ha) under York Region’s density test
• Harvesting exceeding the personal-use exemption (up to 6 bush cords per year)
• Removing municipal trees on Township parkland, road allowances, or Conservation Authority lands

Exemptions

• Individual private trees outside a qualifying woodland or woodlot
• Removal within 15 m of a structure with a valid building permit
• Single-lane driveway access clearing
• Property boundary clearing up to 2.5 m in width
• Hazardous tree removal

How to Apply for a York Region Permit

Step 1: Determine Whether the Tree Is Part of a Woodland

The line between “a few trees” and a regulated woodland isn’t always obvious on the ground. We assess density against York Region’s per-hectare thresholds before assuming no permit is needed, especially on estate lots where tree cover runs continuous across the property.

Step 2: Choose the Right Permit Type

A Good Forestry Practices Permit ($25) requires a silvicultural prescription from a Registered Professional Forester and covers removal consistent with good forestry practice. A Special Permit ($250, or $500 for larger or Council-level removals) applies where the work doesn’t qualify as good forestry, and larger applications require an environmental impact study.

Step 3: Submit at Least 45 Days Before Work

York Region requires Good Forestry Practices applications 45 or more days before the planned harvest date. Special Permits can take longer, particularly where an environmental impact study is required.

Step 4: Regional and Township Review

York Region reviews forestry permits; the Township separately approves removal of its own trees on parkland, road allowance, or under the older municipal tree by-law (73-54). Permits, once issued, are valid for one year with extensions available on request.

Replacement Requirements

For removals under a York Region woodland permit, compensation is calculated using a formula: the removed tree’s diameter divided by 0.05, multiplied by a condition rating between 0 and 1. Where replacement value falls short of the compensation threshold, the Region charges the difference using its standard tree valuations of $909.11 per deciduous tree and $834.36 per coniferous tree.

Penalties

Fines for York Region Forest Conservation By-law contraventions range from $100 to $50,000 for a first offence, rising to $400 to $100,000 for subsequent offences.

Working with The Arborist Group

The most common mistake we see in King Township is a builder or homeowner assuming a lack of bylaw means no documentation is needed. We check every property against York Region’s woodland and woodlot density thresholds before making that call, prepare the forester’s silvicultural prescription and inventory documentation when a project does trigger the regional bylaw, and handle Township sign-off separately when the removal touches parkland or road allowance trees.