Policy – Community Services

Standardized Urban Forestry Policy

The Council of the City of Dawson Creek directs that:

To manage arboriculture and maintain and improve upon the City’s urban forests for the purpose of ecological, sociological and economical benefits, steps must be taken to protect the welfare of City’s in accordance with the following documentation. This policy applies to trees located on City owned property, including City owned property that is leased and/or operated by another person or another organization.

1. Pruning

1.1. Pruning of newly planted and young trees.

1.1.1. Pruning of newly planted and young trees shall only be performed by a certified arborist unless training is provided to a worker by the certified arborist and permission is granted to that worker by the City’s Parks Manager.

1.1.2. Pruning shall conform to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 regulations: a. remove broken, dead, dying, diseased or damaged branches; b. select and establish a central leader; c. select and establish the lowest permanent branch; d. select and establish scaffold branches; e. select temporary branches below the lowest permanent branch.

1.2. Yearly Routine Pruning of all trees.

1.2.1. Pruning of all trees shall only be performed by a certified arborist unless training is provided to a City worker by the certified arborist and permission is granted to that worker by the City’s Parks Manager.

1.2.2. Pruning shall conform to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 regulations: a. remove broken, dead, dying, diseased or damaged branches; b. remove any crossing or rubbing branches; d. prune for hazard management; c. prune to accommodate for clearances.

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1.3. Pruning equipment shall be sterilized with methyl alcohol or other proven sterilizing chemicals between trees and if a tree shows signs of infection, between each cut.

1.4. No tree shall be topped unless permission is given by the Parks Manager.

1.5. Pollarding shall not be considered recommended practice.

1.6. No climbing spurs or leg irons shall be used on any tree unless it is to be removed.

1.7. No tree shall have a wound dressing applied to an injury.

1.8. No tree shall be pruned for view enhancement (vista pruning), satellite reception, organic deposits (leaves, fruits, and other parts of a tree), tree shading, honey dew drippings from aphids, tree shaping, or to accommodate a view for commercial signage.

2. Tree support systems

2.1. Tree support systems including cabling, bracing, guying, propping and lightning protection shall conform to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 regulations.

2.2. No tree support system shall interfere with pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

2.3. Tree support systems shall be inspected yearly and a written report will be provided, recognizing the system’s efficacy and safety, from which action will be taken if necessary.

2.4. Tree support systems shall only be installed by a certified arborist.

3. Ice Melting Agents

3.1. Ice melting agents such as, but not limited to, ammonium, calcium chloride and sodium chloride, shall be considered toxic and precaution shall be taken to avoid its use around trees and other non-toxic forms of traction aids shall be used in its place.

3.2. No ice melting agent shall be applied within a minimum of three metres (3 m) from the outer edge of a tree well and not within five metres (5 m) from the dripline of trees that are not planted in a tree well such as green spaces and boulevards, unless written permission in given by the City’s Parks Manager.

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3.3. It shall be recognized that in an area that permission is granted in regards to the use of ice melting agents within the minimum requirements of the allowable area, trees that have died due to soil toxicity will not be replaced in the particular area that toxicity has occurred from ice melting agents.

4. Fertilizer

4.1. Fertilization of trees shall conform to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 regulations.

4.2. Fertilizer shall not be applied within two years from the original planting date.

4.3. Fertilizer shall not be applied until a fertilizer analysis is completed through a reputable laboratory.

5. Irrigation

5.1. Irrigation installation and maintenance shall conform to the Irrigation Association of British Columbia (IABC) Standards for Landscape Irrigation Systems.

5.2. Newly planted trees in their first year after being planted shall be irrigated least once per week, unless rain fall has proven to be sufficient enough that irrigation is not required, and trees in their second year after being planted should be irrigated at least once per month.

5.3. Minimum irrigation practices shall be used to maintain established ornamental trees.

5.4. Trees that have sustained significant removal shall be recognized as requiring extra water management.

6. Tree Hazard Management

6.1. Trees in maintained areas within the City limits shall be assessed for hazards once (1) per year in the spring by a certified tree risk management assessor or certified arborist, and findings shall be documented in a Tree Hazard Management Program

6.2. Three (3) major components shall be recognized when assessing a tree for hazards including: the trees potential to fail, an environment that may contribute to that failure and if there is a target. A target shall be considered any person or object that may be injured or damaged by a tree’s failure.

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6.3. A tree risk hazard consultant may be called in to assess tree hazards if seen fit.

6.4. It shall be recognized that an “act of God” is an occurrence due to natural causes that could not have been prevented by ordinary skill or foresight and it is not the fault of management, the certified tree risk management assessor, or the certified arborist conducting the hazard evaluation if such an “act of God” is to occur.

7. Tree Removal

7.1. Only trees that are suffering from decay or have been damaged to the point where, for safety reasons, they should be removed: and further, that the City shall inform property owners who are having difficulty with root problems in their sewer lines that the only reliable cure is to install a plastic line in place of clay tile pipes.

8. Tree Replacement and New Plantings

8.1. Trees shall be planted in accordance to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 standards.

8.2. Priority shall be given to the replacement of existing tree stock as trees die from decay or have been damaged to the point that safety is an issue, unless replacement is not seen as a benefit for that particular area, in which case a written explanation as to why a tree is not beneficial to that area will be provided by a Certified Arborist and approved by the City’s Parks Manger.

8.3. Secondary priority shall be given to streets and green spaces without trees.

8.4. Any tree that has been removed shall be replaced in an existing location or other location as seen fit by the City’s Parks Manager, provided funding has not been allocated to another project.

8.5. Trees that are suitable for planting shall be shown to be reliable to the Dawson Creek area with good vigor and vitality and show resistance to disease and pests as well as demonstrating good aesthetics and meet with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) standards.

8.6. The City’s Parks Department shall keep a list of tree species suitable to the Dawson Creek area and review this list every three years in conjunction with the City’s Tree Evaluation Program to determine if a tree species, variety or cultivar should be removed from the list of suitable trees for the Dawson Creek area.

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8.7. Tree stakes shall be removed one (1) year after the planting date, unless harm will come to the tree from the stakes removal.

8.8. All newly planted trees shall be free of insects, disease and mechanical damage.

8.9. All soil used to back fill planting holes shall be free of invasive and/or noxious weeds recognized by the British Columbia Ministry of and Lands.

8.10. Transgenic (genetically modified) trees shall not be planted within the city limits and no non-indigenous trees that have the potential to naturalize shall be planted within city limits.

8.11. No more than 10% of a species, 20% of a genus, and 30% of a family shall make up the urban tree population to minimize single event decimation.

9. Tree Clearances and Setbacks

9.. Tree clearances for pruning shall conform to the Table 1 as follows:

Table 1. Minimum Clearances From To Over Clearance Tree base Scaffold branches Sidewalks and 2.5 m walkways Tree base Scaffold branches City streets 3.5 m Tree base Scaffold branches Truck routes 4.5 m Branches Structure (building) N/A 75 cm Branches Street light N/A 75 cm Branches Street signage N/A 75 cm Stop bar Roadway N/A Line of site Note: Pruning for clearances shall only be completed if it does not drastically affect the natural habit of the tree.

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9.2. Tree setbacks for planting shall conform to Table 2 as follows:

Table 2. Minimum Setbacks From To Setback Fire hydrants, light Trees and shrubs 5 m standards, and street signage. *Above ground electrical Large trees 20 m wires, telephone wires, and Medium trees 10 m (12 m max. height) cable wires. Small trees 5 m (6 m max. height) Roadways and laneways Large trees 8 m Underground utilities Large trees 8 m Medium trees 5 m Shrubs 1.5 m Intersections (not inclusive All trees 3 m of downtown) Driveway approaches All trees 3 m * Trees planted near above ground utilities shall conform to BC Hydro’s guide to Planting Near Power Lines and conform to their low, medium and tall zones for tree height and distance from power poles. Note: Where minimum setbacks cannot be made, written permission to decrease the minimum setback shall be obtained from the City’s Parks Manager.

10. Pesticide Use

10.1. All pesticide applications shall conform to the British Columbia Ministry of Environments Integrated Pest Management Act.

10.2. Principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) shall be adhered to, realizing that prevention is the best solution to a problem.

10.3. If a treatment is required to solve a problem, a non-chemical approach shall first be considered, then excluded pesticides shall be considered, only then shall regulated pesticides be considered.

10.4. Plant diagnostics lab such as the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands or other reputable plant diagnostics laboratory shall be used whenever necessary to determine specific disease causing organisms.

11. Safety

11.1. All work shall conform to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and where it does not conflict with Canadian regulations, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z133.1.

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11.2. The command and response system shall be used when workers are in a drop zone (landing zone).

11.3. All work shall start with a job briefing in which the on-site supervisor will communicate the work plan.

11.4. At least one (1) worker on site should be trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

11.5. Workers shall be equipped with no less than a Workers Compensation Board (WCB) Level One (1) First Aid Kit.

11.6. All equipment shall be inspected to ensure that it is in proper working condition prior to its use and shall only be serviced by trained qualified personnel.

11.7. No worker shall operate a power saw (chainsaw) or aerial device without at least one (1) other worker present.

12. Tree Appraisal

12.1. The trunk formula shall be used to appraise a tree’s value that is considered to large to replace and is used as such: value = basic value x condition x location.

12.2. The replacement cost method shall be used to determine a cost to value ratio in determining the viability of repairing or replacing a tree.

13. Contractor Performing Arboricultural Services

13.1. The contractor shall provide proof of Workers Compensation Board (WCB) insurance and record of good standing as well as liability insurance.

13.2. The contractor shall be qualified to perform all work in accordance to the City’s latest standards, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Motor Vehicle Act, Ministry of Environments Integrated Pest Management Act, and the Workers Compensation Board Act.

13.3. The contractor shall obtain utility locates when applicable.

13.4. The contractor shall try to maintain the natural shape of the tree.

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14. Volunteerism

14.1. Volunteers, other than those who have written permission from the City; shall not be allowed to prune, apply pesticides, fertilize, install or maintain tree support systems on City owned tree.

15. Emergency Work

15.1. If utility lines are involved with tree damage, BC Hydro shall be contacted and no work shall proceed without their clearance.

15.2. Roads blocked by fallen trees or limbs shall be prioritized for cleanup as follows: a. areas that effect emergency response (hospital, police, fire, and ambulance etc.); b. highways and major thoroughfares; c. secondary streets; d. alleys.

16. Decorative Lighting

16.1. Only low voltage lighting such as LED shall be used.

16.2. Lights and wiring shall be inspected yearly to ensure they do not injure the tree through rubbing or .

16.3. No person shall be permitted to install lighting in trees unless written permission is given by the City’s Parks Manager.

17. Tree Measurements

17.1. Using the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) standards for tree diameter measurements, trees less than one hundred millimetres (<100 mm) shall be measured at fifteen centimetres (15 cm) above the ground and trees greater than one hundred millimeters (>100 mm) shall be measured at thirty centimetres (30 cm) above the ground for measurement of nursery stock and for the purpose of documentation of the Tree Evaluation Program.

17.2. The British Standards Institute (BSI) standard of one metre forty centimetres (1.4 m) above the ground shall be used to calculate tree protection zone (TPZ) and tunneling lengths.

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18. Tree protection

18.1. No person shall injure or manipulate a City tree in any way unless written permission is given by the City’s Parks Manger; including but not limited to: a. affixing signage, lighting or any fixture; b. paint a tree; c. trim or alter a tree; d. remove a tree; e. make any grade changes around the tree protection zone (TPZ).

18.2. No person shall carry out work within the protection zone (TPZ) of a tree unless written permission is given by the City’s Parks Manager.

18.3. Prior to construction activity around trees that are to be preserved, an arborist shall meet with the manager in charge of the construction to determine the best plan of action to preserve the trees and a written document shall be given to the manager by the arborist stating exactly what can and can not be done around trees.

18.4. When a tree is to be preserved a tree protection zone (TPZ) shall be set up. The tree protection zone (TPZ) area shall protect the tree from any equipment driving or excavating within the zone, any construction items being placed within the zone or against the trunk of a tree, and any grade change within the zone.

18.5. A tree protection zone (TPZ) in construction areas shall be measured using Table 3 for excavating as follows:

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Table 3. Tree Protection Zone Calculation Chart Species Tolerance Tree Age Distance from Trunk per Unit Trunk Diameter (Metres) Good Young 0.06 (<20% life expectancy) Mature 0.09 (29 – 80% life expectancy) Overmature 0.12 (> 80% life expectancy) Moderate Young 0.09 (<20% life expectancy) Mature 0.12 (29 – 80% life expectancy) Overmature 0.15 (> 80% life expectancy) Poor Young 0.12 (<20% life expectancy) Mature 0.15 (29 – 80% life expectancy) Overmature 0.18 (> 80% life expectancy)

18.6. Calculations for the tree protection zone shall be made using Table 3 as follows: a. evaluate the tree species tolerance, b. identify tree age, c. use table 3 to find the distance from trunk unit diameter, d. multiply the distance by the trunk diameter measured at one metre forty centimetres (1.4 m) from the ground.

18.7. In areas that equipment must move around the root area of a tree, fifteen centimetres or more (>15 cm) of bark mulch, ten centimetres or more (>10 cm) of crushed gravel, or plywood shall be placed on the ground to reduce soil compaction. These materials shall not be left on the ground for a prolonged period of time. Tree can extend two (2) to three (3) times or greater the circumference of the dripline depending on trees inherent form (fastigiate to spreading), so in areas where equipment is to move around a tree, the tree protection zone (TPZ) shall be expanded to accommodate the root zone for the particular tree.

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18.8. Barriers such as fencing or barricades shall be erected to protect the tree protection zone (TPZ).

18.9. It shall be recognized that tunneling under a tree will be the acceptable means of excavation for a utility around the tree protection zone (TPZ) and if trenching is to be used, written permission from the City’s Parks Manager shall be obtained.

18.10. Tunneling lengths shall be measured using Table 4 as follows:

Table 4. Tunneling Lengths Tree Diameter Circumference Tunnel Length At 1.4 metre above At 1.4 metre above From tree to 2 From tree to 4 ground ground metre metre .85 m 2.66 m 8.5 m 6.5 m .8 m 2.51 m 8.0 m 6.0 m .75 m 2.35 m 7.5 m 5.5 m .70 m 2.19 m 7.0 m 5.0 m .65 m 2.04 m 6.5 m 4.5 m .60 m 1.88 m 6.0 m 4.0 m .55 m 1.72 m 5.5 m 3.5 m .50 m 1.57 m 5.0 m 3.0 m .45 m 1.45 m 4.5 m 2.5 m .40 m 1.25 m 4.0 m 2.0 m .35 m 1.09 m 3.5 m 1.5 m .30 m .94 m 3.0 m 1.0 m .25 m .78 m 2.5 m .5 m .20 m .62 m 2.0 m .10 m 0.47 m 1.5 m

18.11. Calculations for the tunneling shall be made using Table 4 as follows: a. measure with a tape the circumference of the tree at 1.4 m above the ground and choose the closest figure in column 2 b. determine horizontal distance between the base of the tree and the proposed utility. If within 2 m of the base of the tree, select the tunnel length from column 3; if you are between 2 m and 4 m select your tunnel length from column 4.

18.12. A financial security deposit, in the form of a certified cheque or money order, may be asked from the General Contractor with a Letter of Acceptance of responsibility to guarantee the protection of trees in and around the construction zone that the General Contractor is Responsible for. The City may hold the security

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deposit until a stipulated period of time in which the trees are in a healthy and vigorous state of growth.

19. Construction Tree Injury or Destruction

19.1. If the General Contractor of a construction site has obtained written approval form the City’s Parks Manager to commence in the destruction of a tree or an accident has caused the injury or destruction of a tree by the General Contractor, the General Contractor shall be held liable for the replacement cost of the tree unless it is less than ten millimetres (<10 mm) in diameter for a deciduous tree and less than sixty centimetres (<60 cm) high for coniferous tree measured using the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) standards for tree diameter measurements.

19.2. Replacement trees shall be up to eighty millimetres (80 mm) in diameter for deciduous trees or three hundred centimetres (300 cm) in height for coniferous trees depending on the size of the tree that has been injured or destroyed. The tree that has been injured or destroyed shall be measured using the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) standards for tree diameter measurements and the replacement tree will match the diameter of the tree that has been injured or destroyed in accordance with Table 5 as follows:

Table 5. Tree Replacement Sizes for Trees Injured or Destroyed by Construction Deciduous Tree Coniferous Tree

Injured or Replacement Tree Injured or Replacement Tree Destroyed Tree Destroyed Tree <10 mm diameter No replacement <60 cm high No replacement >10 mm to 80 mm >10 mm to 80 mm >60 cm to 300 cm >60 cm to 300 cm diameter diameter high high >80 mm diameter 80 mm diameter >300 cm high 300 cm high

19.3. The following calculation shall be used to determine the (current) replacement cost of a tree: tree species + tree size + shipping + equipment (1 ton utility truck and 1 backhoe x 1 hr.) + labour (1 Certified Arborist or Horticulturist and 2 Labourers x 1 hr) = replacement cost. The replacement tree species in this calculation shall be the same as the tree species that was injured or destroyed, whether or not the replacement tree will be the same as the tree that was injured or destroyed.

19.4. The replacement tree shall be installed by City employees and the replacement tree obtained by the City adhering to City standards.

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20. Natural Areas Protection

20.1. Areas that are to be reclaimed to a natural state shall only use trees that are indigenous to the specific area (an ecotype) in which they are to be planted.

20.2. No person shall injure or destroy any plant in natural areas.

21. Trees on Private Property

21.1. Trees situated on private property that has any part of the tree structure on City property shall be pruned to: a. accommodate safe throughway for vehicles and pedestrians; b. accommodate a safe line of site for vehicles; c. ensure street signage is clear and visible; d. ensure street lights are unobstructed.

21.2. Before work commences to trees on private property, the City shall make every attempt within reason to notify the property owner.

22. Boundary Trees

22.1. The City shall not commence in any tree work, other that what is stated in section 21.1, on trees situated on, or where the tree’s main stem is straddling the property line and more than fifty percent (51% to 100%) of the stem is on private property. The City will take full responsibility for trees that are fifty percent or greater on city property (50% to 100%). A surveyor shall be called in to determine the property line in the event that the property line is not evident. The particular tree in question shall be documented as to whom the ownership of the tree belongs.

22.1. In the case that the City is contacted by a private property owner to do arboricultural work on such a tree, the City shall recommend a private arboriculture contractor.

23. City Tree Roots on Private Property

23.1. Property owners shall not damage tree roots of City trees that encroach on their property and are within the tree protection zone (TPZ) of a tree.

24. Private Trees Planted on City Property

24.1. Citizens wishing to plant a tree on City property shall obtain permission to do so by the City’s Parks Manager.

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24.2. When planting a tree on City property Citizens shall adhere to the City’s Standardized Urban Tree Policies.

24.3 Trees planted by citizens shall become the property of the City however joint responsibility of the trees care may be shared by both the City and the citizen as long as the citizen adhere to the City’s Standardized Urban Tree Policies.

25. Penalties

25.1. Every person who commits an offence against the statements in section 3, 16, 18, 20 and 22 shall be deemed to have committed an offence and shall be liable for the fines listed in the City’s Property Maintenance Bylaw.

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Appendix “A”

City of Dawson Creek Suggested Tree List

Betula papyrifera – Paper Birch Caragana arborescens ‘Sutherland’ – Sutherland Caragana Fraxinus x ‘Northern Gem’ – Northern Gem Ash Fraxinus x ‘Northern Treasure’ – Northern Treasure Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Patmore’ – Patmore Green Ash Malus baccata – Siberian Crabapple Malus x ‘Dolgo’ – Dolgo Crabapple Malus x ‘Big River’ – Big River Flowering Crabapple Malus x ‘Makamik’ – Makamik Flowering Crabapple Malus x ‘Pink Spire’ – Pink Spire Crabapple Malus x ‘Royalty’ – Royalty Flowering Crabapple Malus x ‘Rudolph’ – Rudolph Flowering Crabapple Malus x ‘Thunderchild’ – Thunderchild Flowering Crabapple Populs x canaescens ‘Tower’ – Tower Poplar Populus x jackii ‘Northwest’ – Northwest Poplar Populus tremuloidies – Trembling Aspen Populus tremula ‘Erecta’ - Swedish Columnar Aspen Prunus padus commutata – Mayday Tree Salix pentandra – Laurel Leaf Willow Sorbus americana – American Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia ‘Rossica’ – Russian Mountain Ash Sorbus decora – Showy Mountian Ash Tillia x flavescens ‘Dropmore’ – Dropmore Linden Ulnus americana ‘Brandon’ – Brandon Elm Larix siberica – Siberian Larch Picea glauca – White Spruce Picea pungens – Colorado Spruce Pinus banksiana – Jack Pine Pinus cembra – Swiss Stone Pine Pinus contorta var. latifolia – Lodgepole Pine Pinus sylvestris – Scots Pine

The trees listed in this document are recommended for the Dawson Creek area as they show a superior ability to tolerate our local conditions. The provided list should not be considered as a strict guide as to what grows in the Dawson Creek area and what does not, but rather a guide to proven tree selections. Also, the following list of trees is readily available from our suppliers.

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Appendix “B”

Glossary

Arboriculture: concerns the cultivation of woody plants, particularly trees, shrubs, and vines.

Arborist: a specialist in the cultivation and care of trees and shrubs, including tree surgery, the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tree diseases, and the control of pests.

Certified Arborist: (C.A.) a person certified by the International Society of Arboriculture and/or the National Arborists Association.

Citizen: a person native or naturalized to the City of Dawson Creek.

City: refers to the City of Dawson Creek.

Conifer: a plant that bears seeds in a cone.

Contractor: a person who contracts to furnish supplies or perform work at a certain price or rate; contracted certified arborist.

Cultivar: a cultivated variety of a plant. A named plant selection from which identical or near-identical plants can be produced, usually by vegetative reproduction or cloning.

Deciduous: perennial plant that loses all its leaves at one time of the year.

Destroy: to pull down or break up so that reconstruction is impossible; to kill.

Ecotype: a locally adapted variant of an organism, differing genetically from other ecotypes.

Family: a taxonomic group between order and genus in rank; the ending of family names in animals and heterotrophic protists is -idae; in all other organisms it is -aceae. A family contains one or more genera, and each family belongs to an order.

Fastigiate: having erect and almost parallel branches tapering toward the top, as in the Lombardy poplar.

Genus: the usual major subdivision of a family or subfamily in the classification of organisms, usually consisting of more than one species.

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Girdle: to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a tree, branch, etc.).

LED: light-emitting diode, a semiconductor diode that emits light when conducting current and is used in electronic equipment, esp. for displaying readings on digital watches, calculators, etc.

Indigenous: originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native.

Injure: to cause physical damage to.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Integrated Pest Management means a decision making process that uses a combination of techniques to suppress pests and that must include but is not limited to the following elements: a. planning and managing ecosystems to prevent organisms from becoming pests; b. identifying potential pest problems; c. monitoring populations of pests and beneficial organisms, pest damage, and environmental conditions; d. using injury thresholds in making treatment decisions; e. reducing pest populations to acceptable levels using strategies that may include a combination of biological, physical, cultural, behavioral and chemical controls; f. evaluating the effectiveness of treatments.

Naturalized: to introduce (organisms) into a region and cause them to flourish as if native.

Ornamental: a plant cultivated for decorative purposes.

Pesticide: under the British Columbia Integrated Pest Management Act, any substance or mixture of substances, other that a device, intended for killing, controlling or managing insect, rodents, fungi, weeds, and other forms of plant or animal life that are considered to be pests.

Pollard: pruning technique where young trees or branches are initially headed, then reheaded on an annual basis without disturbing the callus knob.

Private: belonging to some particular person: private property.

Pruning: systematic removal of branches of a plant, usually a woody perennial.

Public: of, pertaining to, or affecting a population or a community as a whole: public funds; a public land.

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Scaffold branches: in decurrent trees, the large branches that form the structure of the crown.

Species: a group of plants that resemble each other closely and that interbreed freely.

Standards: minimum requirements or guidelines pertaining to the protection and preservation of trees.

Topping: a pruning technique to reduce height by heading of large branches. Generally considered poor practice. Syn. dehorning, looping, hat-racking.

Transgenic: of, relating to, or being an organism whose genome has been altered by the transfer of a gene or genes from another species or breed: transgenic mice; transgenic plants.

Tree: a member of any coniferous of deciduous species having one or more self- supporting trunks/stems.

Tree Appraisal: the monetary value of a tree as determined through calculations.

Tree Protection Zone (TPZ): the area around the tree or group of trees in which no grading or construction activity may occur, this area may range two to three times or greater past the dripline of a tree.

Tree Support Systems: the practice of installing tree support systems including cables, braces, rods, props, and guys are introduced and reviewed.

Variety: a group of plants or animals of less than species rank. Some botanist’s consider varieties as equivalent to sub-species, and others consider them divisions of sub-species.

APPROVED BY COUNCIL: DATE: April 27, 2009 AMENDED BY COUNCIL: DATE: