Skip to content

New policy being put in place to protect trees in Regional District of Nanaimo parks

Direction provided for tree removals and suitable replacements in regional parks and on trails
24292076_web1_210224-NBU-tree-management-PUSH-2_1
Mount Benson Regional Park. The Regional District of Nanaimo has a new tree management policy for parks and trails. (News Bulletin file photo)

The Regional District of Nanaimo is establishing a new policy to ensure that trees in parks are preserved.

Manager of parks services, Yann Gagnon, presented a draft of the policy to the regional parks and trails select committee on Feb. 2, which endorsed it for recommendation to the RDN board for approval.

The new policy will provide directions on tree removals and suitable replacements in parks and trails to ensure no net loss of trees, management of fire risks in the forested parks and trails, and management of invasive species.

READ MORE: Parksville workers plant 3,000 tree in parks throughout the city

To implement all of the policy’s goals, Gagnon indicated it will require the allocation of $137,000 annually. It was recommended and passed by the committee the amount be included in the 2022 budget and financial plan.

Gagnon said the funds will be available and allocated to the electoral areas if required.

“Some of these funds will be used to replace some of the trees removed,” said Gagnon. “Now, if no trees are removed then that amount would stay there and be carried forward to the future use as appropriate surplus.”

There is also a recommendation to hire a temporaty full-time natural technician for one year to deal with invasive species mainly in regional district parks and trails that include Himaylayan backberry, Scotch broom, giant hogweed and poison hemlock.

Michael.Briones@pqbnews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter 



Michael Briones

About the Author: Michael Briones

I rejoined the PQB News team in April 2017 from the Comox Valley Echo, having previously covered sports for The NEWS in 1997.
Read more