An arborist report is a signed professional assessment of the trees on a property, prepared by a qualified arborist and submitted to the municipality in support of a permit application. In North Vancouver that municipality is either the District of North Vancouver or the City of North Vancouver, and the two run entirely separate tree bylaws with different size thresholds, different exemptions, and different report requirements. Sylva Environmental works out of 1132 15th St W Unit#10 in North Vancouver, and our ISA Certified Arborists and TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) holders prepare reports formatted to what each of these two authorities actually asks for.
Which North Vancouver Are You In?
North Vancouver is two municipalities, not one. The City of North Vancouver is the smaller, denser core around Lonsdale. The District of North Vancouver wraps around it and takes in Lynn Valley, Deep Cove, Seymour, Blueridge, Edgemont, Capilano and the Upper Levels. They do not share a tree bylaw, so the first question on any report is which authority governs your lot. If you are not certain, check your property tax notice or ask the municipal front counter before commissioning anything, because a report written to the wrong standard will come back.
District of North Vancouver: Tree Protection Bylaw 7671
The District regulates tree work under Tree Protection Bylaw 7671, 2012, effective 23 July 2012 and amended by Bylaws 7960, 8271, 8559 and 8583. Section 7 is the operative rule: a person must not cut, damage or remove a protected tree or a large-diameter tree without a tree permit, or contrary to one.
What counts as a large-diameter tree
Bylaw 7671 defines a large-diameter tree as any tree with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 75 centimetres or more that is not already a protected tree. Stem measurements are rounded up to the next whole centimetre, so the bylaw's own example treats a 74.3 cm trunk as 75 cm.
What counts as a protected tree
Protected trees are regulated regardless of trunk size. Under Bylaw 7671 they include:
- Trees on or straddling District land, including any tree in a park or on a road, boulevard or lane allowance.
- Trees within a protected area. The bylaw measures this from the centreline of a stream to a point 15 metres from the top of bank, or 10 metres from the top of bank in a ravine wider than 60 metres, or 30 metres on a parcel larger than 0.5 hectares on or adjacent to the Capilano River, Lynn Creek, the Seymour River, or Mackay Creek south of Marine Drive.
- Trees on a steep slope, defined as land with a slope angle greater than 20 degrees (36 percent) measured over a vertical distance of 3 metres or more.
- Replacement trees, covenant trees, heritage trees and wildlife trees, plus old growth trees, meaning any tree or forest ecosystem 250 years old or older.
- Trees on wetland or waterfront, and trees inside the District's Protection of the Natural Environment, Streamside Protection, and Slope Hazard Development Permit Areas.
- Six named species at any size: Arbutus, Garry Oak, Oregon Ash, Pacific Yew, Western White Pine and Yellow-cedar.
What the District requires in the report
Section 12 of Bylaw 7671 sets out the tree permit application, and it names the arborist report first. The application must include a report from a certified arborist and, where applicable, a certified tree risk assessor, stating the purpose and rationale for the proposed work. The bylaw then specifies what that report has to contain:
- A description of the proposed work.
- A site plan showing each tree to be cut, removed or protected.
- An inventory of all protected and large-diameter trees, together with the topographic and hydrographic features, structures, roads and other pertinent features existing or proposed on the property.
- A description of the cutting or removal methods and the tree protection measures that will be used on any retained trees.
- Where trees sit on a steep slope, a report signed by a registered professional engineer, geoscientist or forester confirming the work will not increase the risk of flooding, erosion or slope instability.
- A report from a certified tree risk assessor where a tree, or part of a tree, is to be declared hazardous.
- A replanting plan specifying the location, species, size and class of what will be planted afterward.
- Copies of any applicable federal or provincial approvals, and a survey by a BC Registered Land Surveyor where the Environmental Protection Officer requires one.
The bylaw also gives a baseline for root zones: a formula of 10 times DBH, modified for site limitations and species profile as determined by a certified arborist. That figure drives the tree protection fencing on retained trees, so establishing it early avoids redesign once construction starts.
Replacement trees for large-diameter removals
Section 21 ties replacement planting to the canopy that is left standing. If the lot will have less than 20 percent canopy cover after the removals, the applicant must plant one replacement tree for every large-diameter tree removed or damaged on a lot smaller than 420 square metres, or three replacement trees on a lot of 420 square metres or more. Instead of planting, the applicant may pay the environmental compensation fee set out in the District's Fees and Charges Bylaw. If the lot will still carry more than 20 percent canopy cover after the removal, no replacement trees or compensation fee are required.
Getting this wrong is expensive. Under section 41, removing a large-diameter tree without the required permit carries a penalty equal to the appraised value of the tree, determined by the Community Forester using an industry standard and capped at $50,000. General offences under the bylaw carry a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $50,000, and section 40 treats each individual tree as a separate offence.
City of North Vancouver: Tree Bylaw, 2022, No. 8888
The City regulates trees under Tree Bylaw, 2022, No. 8888, consolidated to 8 December 2025 and amended by Bylaw 9049 in July 2024 and Bylaw 9143 in December 2025. Two application rules come before everything else. Section 2.B limits the bylaw to trees with a DBH of 20 centimetres or more. Section 2.A excludes a tree if its entire trunk is on a highway, or on land zoned GO (Ground Oriented Zone), RS-1, RS-2, RS-4B, RT-1 or RT-2, or in a CD zone whose permitted uses are based on any of those zones. That carves a meaningful share of the City's detached and duplex lots out of the bylaw, so confirming your zoning with the City is the first step rather than an afterthought.
When the City can issue a permit
Bylaw 8888 does not treat approval as automatic. Where the parcel is the subject of an active building permit application, section 6.A allows the Director to issue a removal permit only where the tree is inside the Permitted Building Envelope, where retaining it would place unreasonable constraints on developing the parcel to its permitted density, where it stands in an area required for construction access, where it is dead, dying or hazardous as confirmed in writing by a Certified Arborist, where it directly interferes with utility wires and cannot be pruned to resolve that, or where it directly blocks sewer or drainage as certified by an accredited plumber or civil engineer. Where there is no active development or building permit application, section 6.C narrows the grounds to three: dead, dying or hazardous, utility wire interference, or sewer and drainage interference.
Most of those grounds turn on written confirmation from a Certified Arborist. That is the point where the report stops being paperwork and becomes the basis for the decision.
What the City requires in the report
Section 5.A of Bylaw 8888 requires an arborist report prepared by a Certified Arborist, including photographs of all trees on the site, specifying the location, size and health of the trees to be cut or removed, the health of trees in proximity to them, and the extent of disturbed soil on both private and public land. The same application needs a site plan or survey, a statement of purpose and intent with the removal method and proposed dates, a tree protection plan, and a tree replacement plan. Section 5.B lets the City retain an independent arborist to review the submission, at the applicant's cost, where the original reports are found to be incomplete or inaccurate.
The City's Arborist Guide is the document reports are reviewed against in practice. It asks for the arborist's ISA certification number and tree risk assessor qualification, a valid City of North Vancouver business licence, proof of professional liability insurance, the date and time of the site visit, and a tree inventory in table form covering trees on the site, trees on neighbouring properties within 4 metres of the property line or with a crown encroaching on it, and trees on adjacent City property, each with DBH, estimated height, condition assessment, critical root zone and photographs. Tree protection plans for development sites must be built on a tree survey by a registered BCLS surveyor covering every specimen 20 cm DBH or greater on site, on adjacent lots, or on City land within 4 metres of the property line.
Replacement trees and compensation
Section 7 requires replacement planting within six months of permit issuance: one replacement tree for each dead, dying or hazardous tree removed, and three replacement trees for each other tree removed. At least one replacement must be a conifer, and replacement caliper must be at least 5 centimetres. Replacements are planted under the direction of a Certified Arborist or landscape architect and maintained for two years, extendable by the Director but never beyond four. Where a permit is issued on development grounds, the applicant must first pay the ecological compensation fee set out in the Fees and Charges Bylaw, reduced by $750 for each additional replacement tree they agree to plant.
What Our North Vancouver Reports Include
A complete report from Sylva Environmental gives municipal staff enough to make a decision without coming back for more. Reports generally include:
- Tree inventory. A numbered list keyed to a site plan, covering trees on the subject property, neighbouring trees within range of the work, and any municipal trees that could be affected.
- Species identification. Common and botanical names, which matters directly on the North Shore because both bylaws protect specific species at reduced sizes or at any size.
- DBH and dimensions. Trunk diameter at breast height, live crown ratio and height, measured and recorded to the standard the reviewing authority expects.
- Condition assessment. Health and structure, including decay, dieback, defects and any factor that affects viability, with a risk rating where the tree is proposed as hazardous.
- Retention and removal recommendations, each with the reasoning behind it, and options for retention considered before removal is proposed.
- Tree protection zones. Fencing locations, signage, critical root zone calculations and the construction practices needed to carry retained trees through the work.
- Replanting specifications. Species, caliper, location and clearances that satisfy the replacement rules in the applicable bylaw.
- Photographs of every tree, labelled to the inventory numbers, which both authorities expect to see.
The report is delivered as a signed PDF with the arborist's credentials and certification numbers on the face of it.
Our Process and Turnaround
We start with a short conversation about the property, the trees, and which permit or approval you are working toward. We then attend the site, measure and assess each tree, photograph everything relevant, and record the data both bylaws call for. After the field work we prepare the written report, the site plan, the tree protection plan and the replacement plan, and deliver the package ready to submit.
Reports are typically delivered within five to ten business days of the site visit, with rush turnaround available when a construction or permit deadline is tight. We also field questions from District or City staff during their review, which usually resolves follow-up requests faster than another round of correspondence.
Why ISA Certified and TRAQ Matters Here
Both North Shore bylaws name the qualification, not just the person. Bylaw 7671 asks for a report from a certified arborist and, for hazardous trees, a certified tree risk assessor. Bylaw 8888 repeatedly requires written confirmation from a Certified Arborist as the condition on which a permit can be issued at all. The ISA Certified Arborist credential is the internationally recognised standard, and TRAQ is the further qualification focused on evaluating the likelihood and consequences of tree failure. Reports carrying both are what the wording of these bylaws is built around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an arborist report to remove a tree in North Vancouver?
In the District of North Vancouver, yes for any protected tree or any tree 75 cm DBH or larger. Section 12 of Tree Protection Bylaw 7671 requires a report from a certified arborist with the permit application. In the City of North Vancouver, section 5.A of Tree Bylaw 8888 requires an arborist report with every permit application, but the bylaw only reaches trees 20 cm DBH or larger and does not apply on land zoned GO, RS-1, RS-2, RS-4B, RT-1 or RT-2. Confirm which municipality and which zone your lot sits in before you book anything.
What size of tree is protected in North Vancouver?
It depends on the authority. The District protects any tree of 75 cm DBH or more as a large-diameter tree, and protects other trees at any size, including Arbutus, Garry Oak, Oregon Ash, Pacific Yew, Western White Pine and Yellow-cedar, trees on steep slopes, and trees within streamside protected areas. The City's bylaw applies only to trees of 20 cm DBH or more, and only in the zones the bylaw covers.
How many replacement trees will I have to plant?
In the District, section 21 of Bylaw 7671 requires one replacement tree per large-diameter tree on a lot under 420 square metres and three on a lot of 420 square metres or more, but only where the lot will retain less than 20 percent canopy cover after the work. An environmental compensation fee can be paid instead. In the City, section 7 of Bylaw 8888 requires one replacement for each dead, dying or hazardous tree removed and three for each other tree, with at least one conifer and a minimum caliper of 5 cm.
How long does an arborist report take?
Reports are typically delivered within five to ten business days of the site visit. Rush turnaround is available when a permit or construction deadline is tight, and we answer municipal staff questions during their review at no extra charge.
Will the report guarantee my permit is approved?
No. The report documents the trees and provides professional recommendations, but the decision rests with the District or the City. Both bylaws restrict the grounds on which a permit can be issued, so an accurate report that speaks directly to those grounds is the best way to keep an application moving.
Service Areas
We prepare arborist reports across both North Vancouver municipalities, including Lower and Central Lonsdale, Lynn Valley, Deep Cove, Seymour, Blueridge, Edgemont, Capilano and the Upper Levels, as well as neighbouring West Vancouver and Burnaby. Our office is at 1132 15th St W Unit#10, North Vancouver, BC V7M 2J5, and you can reach us at (778) 583-8986.