The District of Central Saanich, thanks to the generous donation of Mosaic Forest Management, will be giving out 100 Douglas Fir seedlings the week of November 2 to 6, 2020. The seedlings will be available outside Municipal Hall, at 1903 Mt Newton Cross Road, from 9 am to 4 pm, and available to any Central Saanich resident (one per person).
Typically, the District’s Tree Appreciation Day takes place in early November with a tree planting event open to the public, but this year’s seedling giveaway will allow all to celebrate safely.
About Douglas Firs
Douglas firs are evergreens, and can add privacy and shade to a property year-round. Once the tree is established, care is minimal. The tree is drought-tolerant. In 10 years’ time, a Douglas fir seedling may grow to 12-15 feet tall. They will ultimately be large trees and can grow to 120 feet and live hundreds of years. In forests, Douglas firs drop their lower branches, but in the open, their spread can exceed 20 feet.
Planting tips
Pick a good spot
- Pick an area on your property with excellent drainage, room to grow, sunlight and shade (lots of shade is okay).
- You will want your tree to grow for years to come so allow a clearance of 20-30 feet away from buildings, fences, driveways, utilities and neighbouring properties. You can visit www.bc1c.ca to identify underground utility lines.
- Be certain the soil is deep, moist and well drained; they do poorest on gravelly soils.
Prepare the hole
- Dig a hole about 3 inches wider in diameter and 3 inches deeper than the root ball.
- Place the seedling in.
- Backfill with good soil and gently press down the soil around the seedling with your foot.
- Water the seedling and, if possible, place a small amount of wood chips around it to retain moisture.
Ongoing care
During the first summer water weekly, depending on rainfall and how the soil holds water.
Related: The District of Central Saanich is updating the Tree Protection Bylaw
The impacts of climate change are increasingly apparent and the role of tree preservation is a recognized climate mitigation measure. While trees are key to carbon sequestration, they can also play a significant role in storm water management, reducing the urban heat island effect, providing habitat and enhancing biodiversity, and their inherent aesthetic and cultural value reflect the importance of a healthy urban forest. Within the District, preservation of the urban forest is particularly challenged by the size of our agricultural land base and the cumulative impacts resulting from development, including infill developments and infrastructure improvements (roads, sewer, water, etc.).
Therefore, Council identified a Tree Protection Review in the 2019 Strategic Plan. Staff initiated a review of the current Tree Bylaw and, with the help of a consultant, drafted a new Tree Management Bylaw. In October, Council endorsed the next step of the project, community engagement. In this phase, the District is asking for input on the draft bylaw.
Highlights of the new bylaw include:
- Introducing a Tree Density Target of 50 trees per hectare
- Tree removal requires 3 replacement trees to be planted per tree removed, up to the lot achieving the Tree Density Target
- Tree retention is incentivized by giving credit for retention of trees
- Trees with a Diameter at Breast Height of 20 cm or more are considered ‘permit’ trees and require a permit for removal or pruning
- A cash-in-lieu option of $500 per tree would be available in cases where replacement trees cannot be accommodated on site
- Security of $250 per tree for the planting and maintenance (one year) of replacement trees would be required
- For permit trees located in the Erosion District, only one permit would be required
- Tree removal on lands within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) remains exempt from the requirement for a permit, however, a written statement from the owner declaring that the trees are to be removed for an agricultural use is required.
- Removal of trees on municipal land requires 3 replacement trees for each tree to be removed, and a contribution of $750 per replacement tree toward a Tree Planting Reserve Fund
- An increase of application fees to recover District costs. There would be no cost to remove hazardous trees, a $75 base fee plus $25 per tree to a maximum of $200, and a fee of $75 to amend a permit.
You can also attend one of two Open Houses, scheduled on Thursday, November 26 – from 1:30pm to 7:30pm and Saturday, November 28 – from 10am to 2:30pm at Saanich Fairgrounds. To register, please follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/the-district-of-central-saanich-22614116426
To provide comments, please email planning@csaanich.ca or for questions, please contact Ivo van der Kamp at 236-638-3520.