Kelowna looks to hire tree officers to protect canopy

The City of Kelowna is looking to hire as many as four tree inspectors to protect existing trees and encourage planting new ones.

At the root of a report going to city council on Monday morning, June 13, is the enhancement of the $1 billion tree cover already shading the city.

It’s a multi-branched approach that will look at growing a number of existing policies and bylaws rather than grafting a single tree protection bylaw.

“Focusing resources solely on a ‘Tree Bylaw’ could result in more tree canopy loss if not approached strategically,” the report says. “Multiple programs, regulations, and policies may better achieve tree canopy coverage goals by addressing the root drivers of tree loss – which are: (1) development pressures and (2) safety concerns.”

When other cities proposed tree protection bylaws it led to clearcutting of properties to remove the timber before the law came into effect.

In cases where only larger trees were protected, small trees were uprooted before they reached that size.

In some cases, property owners were allowed to remove one tree per year so they selectively logged each year until they were all gone.

Regardless of how that regulatory orchard is planted, it’s going to take policing.

That’s where the inspector comes in.

READ MORE: These urban foresters in Kelowna, Kamloops work to make their booming cities greener

Council will be presented with four branches of action during what expected to be an hour-long planting session on Monday.

The first branch will only require one inspector to be hired to help enforce the new rules.

The second option calls for a landscape architect, then two more inspectors.

The city currently employs Urban Forestry Supervisor Andrew Hunsberger.

The fourth option won’t require new hires but just educate people in creating their own neighbourhood tree farms.

City staff is recommending that an inspector be hired once the new rules are grafted and planted.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.