Time to draft tree protection bylaw
Dear mayor and council:
I certainly applaud the many green initiatives most council candidates espoused during our recent municipal election.
One of those ideas was a cogent tree protection bylaw for North Cowichan’s urban and rural forests.
I humbly hope writing and debating a tree bylaw — with stiff fines and/or jail time for offenders — is near the top of our new council’s priorities list.
Such a long-awaited bylaw is logically mentioned in our new official community plan. It’s also signalled in our environmental bylaws, and has been requested to council by numerous residents. Yet, this bylaw sadly still does not exist.
One does exist in forward-thinking B.C. municipalities of similar size to North Cowichan.
I now urge council to direct staff forthwith to research and write a bylaw, with strong legal teeth, for public and council input. That research could utilize parts of tree-protection bylaws in force among other like-size municipalities.
Such legislation would pair well with public consultation finally underway concerning the future of our precious municipal forest reserve. Thanks in advance for your prompt consideration.
Yours in conservation,
Peter W. Rusland
Duncan