WHEREAS the banks and foreshore areas of rivers traversing through municipalities are the responsibility of the provincial government; AND WHEREAS there are dangerous trees and other vegetation that pose risks to local residents and their property, as well as being a potential risk to municipal infrastructure and property: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia be petitioned to ensure that regular inspections are carried out in riparian areas, and that trees and other vegetation that pose a risk of liability are dealt with in a timely manner.
Ministry of Environment Wildlife trees are an important stand level biodiversity element, due to the habitat value they provide to numerous species and ecosystems. They only become a hazard tree when someone proposes a land use activity that creates a risk from natural tree senescence. The Ministry of Environment provides guidelines to land use proponents on how to manage their risk from wildlife hazard trees. For those parts of the Province of British Columbia that the Riparian Areas Regulation RAR applies to, the maintenance of trees and other vegetation in riparian areas has been recognized as being useful for slope protection against land slip, as well as for erosion prevention and sediment control. In addition, many local governments have tree protection bylaws in place, including a permitting system, in recognition of the benefits of tree protection. However, if hazardous trees are identified within riparian areas during the assessment of a development proposal by a qualified professional, then the RAR Assessment Methods describe the circumstances in which hazardous tree removal may proceed.