Coquitlam is advancing a new Urban Forest Management Strategy that includes a city-wide expansion of tree replacement requirements and a cash-in-lieu option for developers, the City announced in a Nov. 26 release. The strategy is intended to guide how the city protects and enhances its trees and natural spaces as neighbourhoods densify.
According to the City of Coquitlam, the draft strategy will support broader municipal goals around environmental sustainability, livability and climate resilience by ensuring today’s trees continue to thrive into future generations. The plan is grounded in research and shaped by community input gathered over the past year.
The proposed expansion of tree replacement rules would apply consistent standards across all types of development. A new cash-in-lieu system would allow developers who cannot plant trees on site to contribute funds that would be directed to citywide planting, education and maintenance programs.
Two additional shifts form part of the City’s “rooted approach” to urban forest management. The first focuses on strengthening planting, stewardship and community involvement, including adding a wider diversity of species, exploring creative planting solutions in higher-density areas and supporting partnerships that allow tree planting on school properties. The City also plans to encourage private planting through education, incentives and volunteer opportunities.
The second change prioritizes incentives and education over new regulations. Coquitlam will maintain its existing Tree Management Bylaw while expanding programs that promote planting on private land without increasing administrative requirements for residents.
Rather than adopt an arbitrary tree canopy target, the City has chosen a flexible approach that reflects the pressures of growth and new provincial housing requirements mandating more density in existing neighbourhoods. The strategy aims to balance housing needs with environmental sustainability while keeping trees a defining feature of Coquitlam.
Early research finds that Coquitlam’s urban forest is in generally good health. The city’s tree canopy cover—defined as the percentage of land covered by trees when viewed from above—is 52 per cent citywide and 33 per cent within the urban area, above the regional average of 31 per cent. Officials attribute this strength to long-term investment in parks, green corridors and planting programs such as Tree Spree, which has added between 5,000 and 10,000 new trees annually since 2022.
The study also identified gaps, including limited species diversity, the need for improved inventories of trees on City property, stronger long-term planting plans beyond individual development projects and additional incentives or funding tools to encourage planting on both public and private land.
Public engagement conducted in spring 2024 shows residents highly value trees and green spaces and are concerned about climate change, redevelopment pressure and the loss of mature trees. Participants called for more tree planting, better protection of existing trees and expanded opportunities for stewardship. The City has published the full What We Heard report at LetsTalkCoquitlam.ca/UrbanForest.
The City will present early findings to advisory committees and the public over the coming months. A draft Urban Forest Management Strategy is expected to go to council in early 2026, followed by further public review before council considers final adoption later that year.
