Vancouver will remove a fraction of the 160,000 Stanley Park trees originally estimated – B.C

The City of Vancouver has significantly lowered its estimate of the number of trees to be removed from Stanely Park.

In November 2023, the Vancouver Park Board estimated that up to 160,000 trees killed by hemlock swale infestation would need to be cut down for safety reasons.

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But according to an estimate released this week, that number has been significantly reduced.

“So we suspect we will probably remove somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 from the park, just those that pose the greatest risk to public safety,” Joel McLeod, deputy director of urban forestry, told Global News.

“We will leave the majority of trees dead, especially those that are not in high-use areas.”

While this is the first time the city has presented an alternative estimate for the number of trees to be removed, McLeod said the 160,000 figure was only considered “very early” in the process.

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He added that many of the dead trees are small or do not pose a serious safety risk for other reasons.

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“But I think it’s fair to say that it has never really been the case that we intend to remove all 160,000 trees,” he said. “Only 20,000 trees have a diameter greater than 20 cm.”

McLeod could not say when the city’s estimate changed, and it was not immediately clear why the 160,000 figure remained public for nearly a year.

There are other concerns about the transparency surrounding the tree removal process.

The number of trees actually removed from the park did not come to light until June, and in an email sent only to park board stakeholders.

And in September, a confidential memo obtained by Global News revealed an $11.1 million budget increase for the work.

Michael Caditz, a member of the group Save Stanley Park that sued the city over the operation, said there has been a pattern of embezzlement from the city.

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“This whole operation is suspect and has failed in so many ways when it comes to transparency and democracy,” he said.

“What’s happening now with this confusion and uncertainty about how many trees only underlines the concerns that I and other people in my group, and I believe many citizens in Vancouver, have about the kind of knowingly unscientific nature of this whole logging operation .”

It’s a claim McLeod disputes, saying the plan was carefully crafted in consultation with biologists, forest rangers and risk assessors, all with the aim of balancing safety and the city’s values ​​around the park.

“We value the resources of Stanley Park as much as the community. We recognize that it is a true gem for the people of Vancouver and for the 20 million people who visit Stanley Park annually,” he said.

“I want to reassure the public that we have the long-term management of Stanley Park in our hearts and minds and are committed to preserving this revered space.”

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