Toronto’s trees are vital urban infrastructure. They cool neighbourhoods, improve air quality, support biodiversity and help the city adapt to climate change. Mature trees offer irreplaceable ecological benefits, making their protection essential to achieving Toronto’s target of 40 per cent canopy cover by 2050.
Toronto’s urban forest also provides significant environmental and economic value, including more than $55 million annually in ecosystem benefits such as stormwater reduction, improved air quality and lower energy use.
To strengthen long term tree protection and support a resilient urban forest, the City is updating its Tree Bylaws:
These updates reflect findings from the Tree Bylaw Review Report and direction from City Council (Item 2026.IE27.8).
A new Distinctive Tree Category is being introduced for healthy private trees over 61 cm in diameter at breast height, strengthening protection for Toronto’s largest and most ecologically valuable trees by requiring their status to be considered during permit review. These amendments apply to both the Private Tree Bylaw and the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection Bylaw, effective September 1, 2026.
A new Distinctive Tree Maintenance Incentive Program – Pilot will support the care and retention of large, healthy trees on private property. The program will help with maintenance costs, supporting stewardship of mature canopy trees. The pilot will run through 2026, with outcomes and recommendations to be included in a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2027.
City Council has endorsed in principle reducing the minimum protected tree size on private property from 30 cm to 20 cm, pending a detailed analysis and implementation strategy that will be provided in a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2027. Earlier protection would safeguard younger trees, supporting long‑term canopy growth.
A series of updates are being introduced to modernize enforcement, improve transparency and strengthen the City’s ability to protect Toronto’s urban forest. Together, these changes will help ensure contraventions are addressed more consistently, canopy loss is more effectively restored and the public has clearer insight into tree protection activities.
The Ravine and Natural Feature Protection Bylaw will be updated to introduce non‑refundable permit application fees for regulated activities such as tree injury, removal and grade alteration, with exemptions for voluntary stewardship and eligible projects. These updates take effect September 1, 2026.
Operational practices will be reviewed to consider opportunities to better reflect biodiversity objectives, including native species, invasive species management and alternatives to tree removal, while continuing engagement with Indigenous communities to inform the administration of the Tree Bylaws. Findings will be included in a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2027.
The City will improve the tree permit process by clarifying guidance, enhancing online resources, simplifying workflows and developing more consistent arborist submission standards. These improvements will be included in a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2027.
Education and outreach will be strengthened to increase public understanding of the Tree Bylaws, the value of the urban forest, and permit and compliance and enforcement processes. Updates will be included in a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2027.
Technical updates will modernize Tree Bylaw language, harmonize definitions, clarify exemptions and remove outdated references, improving clarity, consistency and enforceability. These amendments take effect September 1, 2026.
The City will assess opportunities to better align private tree maintenance requirements between Chapter 813 (Trees) and Chapter 629 (Property Standards) to improve coordination and support compliance, with recommendations to be included in a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2027.
Public consultation for the Tree Bylaw Review took place throughout September 2025, providing multiple opportunities for residents, constituency groups and community groups to share feedback on proposed updates.
The City also engaged Indigenous community members as part of the review, marking an early step toward relationship building, and supporting the integration of Indigenous knowledge and stewardship perspectives into the administration of the Tree Bylaws.
A summary of public and constituency group feedback is available in the consultant’s engagement report, Tree Bylaw Amendment Community Engagement Summary Report.
City Council direction over multiple years informed the scope, focus and priorities of the Tree Bylaw Review. This direction emphasized strengthening tree protection, improving enforcement, modernizing bylaw administration and aligning urban forestry practices with development and regulatory processes.
Council requested that the Tree Bylaw Review include information on how the City’s Tree Bylaws relate to the Ontario Building Code and asked the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to recognize the Private Tree Bylaw as an applicable law for building permit issuance. Council also directed staff to examine how outcomes of Tree Bylaw contraventions could be made publicly available.
Agenda Item: 2025.MM32.21
The Infrastructure and Environment Committee received the annual report summarizing Tree Bylaw appeals and removal permit outcomes under Chapters 813 and 658.
Agenda Item: 2025.IEC22.8
Council authorized the collection of personal information needed to administer urban forestry grants and incentive programs, enabling improved program oversight and delivery.
Agenda Item: 2025.IE21.5
Council directed staff to assess options for increasing fees and fines to improve compliance with the City’s Tree Bylaws as part of the ongoing bylaw review.
Agenda Item: 2025.IE19.9
Council amended several Municipal Code chapters to grant the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry (formerly Environment and Climate) equal enforcement authority alongside the General Manager, Parks and Recreation (formerly Parks, Forestry and Recreation), improving administrative clarity and consistency.
Agenda Item: 2024.IE18.6
Council directed staff to examine the diameter at which trees are protected under the Private Tree Bylaw, contributing to future considerations for updating the protection threshold.
Agenda Item: 2021.IE26.6
Council adopted the Auditor General’s report identifying the need for improvements to Tree Bylaw enforcement, oversight and permit issuance processes.
Agenda Item: 2018.AU13.10
Council considered the implications of exempting black walnut trees from protection under the City’s Tree Bylaws.
Agenda Item: 2017.PE17.2