What does Fort Erie's tree by-law cover on a private lot?

By-law 27-2026, passed on 27 April 2026, applies on private property to trees 30 centimetres or more in diameter at 1.37 metres above the ground inside the Town's urban boundary, to trees over 10 centimetres in the Natural Heritage System, to heritage trees designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, and to trees of any size on land with a pending planning application or a pre-consultation held within the past year. The Town's page says its Geopedia map shows whether a property is inside the urban boundary, and lists a refundable security deposit of $250 a replacement tree for individual owners.

The by-law does not apply to woodlands of one hectare or more as defined by Niagara Region's Woodland Conservation By-law, which needs a Regional permit or exemption to injure or destroy trees in those woodlands. A rule summary says what the by-laws cover; it doesn't say whether a given lot is inside the urban boundary, who owns a tree near a lot line or how wide its trunk is.

• Tree By-law: the Town's page on the by-law, the urban boundary, permits, fees and deposits
• Tree By-law 27-2026: the by-law, which repealed By-law 33-2024 (PDF)
• Forestry and tree cutting: the Region's page on its Woodland Conservation By-law, permits and the municipalities that delegated small woodlands

Tree and ravine limits is in the free check as a summary of the Town's rule, from our hand-kept table, with a link to the Town's page. It is a rule for the town, not a survey of the trees on a lot.

Free check: pick “Tree and ravine limits” See the sample report