{
 "answer": "In the City of Richmond Hill, Ontario, permit required: True; applies to private property: True; protected threshold: Any tree with DBH > 15 cm; also Replacement Trees regardless of size; replacement required: Permit conditions may require planting Replacement Trees or, where not possible or owner declines, cash in lieu calculated as number of Replacement Trees × current Tree replacement fee in Tariff of Fees By-law. Source: Tree Preservation By-law No. 19-25 (Municipal Code Chapter 1015); Trees on City Lands By-law No. 20-25 (Municipal Code Chapter 821), verified 2026-08-29.",
 "municipality_id": "gx-001731",
 "municipality": "Richmond Hill",
 "status_type": "City",
 "jurisdiction": "Ontario",
 "country": "CA",
 "topic": "trees",
 "label": "Trees & tree removal",
 "status": "found",
 "last_verified": "2026-08-29",
 "official_website": "http://www.richmondhill.ca/",
 "documents": [
  {
   "primary": true,
   "is_official": true,
   "title": "Tree Preservation By-law No. 19-25 (Municipal Code Chapter 1015)",
   "category": "trees",
   "document_type": "code_chapter",
   "status": "adopted",
   "adopted_date": "2025-04-23",
   "document_url": "http://www.richmondhill.ca/en/shared-content/resources/documents/Community-Standards-By-laws/Tree-Preservation-By-law-No.-19-25-Municipal-Code-Chapter-1015.pdf",
   "summary": "Requires a permit to injure or destroy any tree on private property with a trunk diameter greater than 15 centimetres DBH, and any replacement tree regardless of size. Provides Exemption Permits for dead, dying, hazardous and woodlot trees (with arborist or managed-forest documentation), Retrospective Permits for emergency work, and exemptions including limited normal farm practices. 'Woodlot' is defined by tree-density",
   "discovered_by": "on-newcats",
   "discovered_at": "2026-08-29",
   "capture_sha256": "2b653c043a18344365ec844f7437af11971dd0bd06d0bf26cc347fd4abb5326e",
   "captured_at": "2026-08-29T14:33:34+00:00",
   "capture_http_status": 200,
   "snapshot_url": "https://pub-e61c5ee2a8704225bfa8de0c280e8a2c.r2.dev/bylaws/2b653c043a18344365ec844f7437af11971dd0bd06d0bf26cc347fd4abb5326e.pdf",
   "link_dead": false,
   "facts": {
    "permit_required": true,
    "applies_to_private_property": true,
    "protected_threshold": "Any tree with DBH > 15 cm; also Replacement Trees regardless of size",
    "replacement_required": "Permit conditions may require planting Replacement Trees or, where not possible or owner declines, cash in lieu calculated as number of Replacement Trees × current Tree replacement fee in Tariff of Fees By-law",
    "boulevard_trees": "Trees on Corporation lands are exempt from this by-law and not regulated by it",
    "fine_range": "Maximum $100,000 per offence; special fines may exceed $100,000"
   },
   "fact_citations": {
    "permit_required": "s. 4.1",
    "applies_to_private_property": "\"Trees on Private Property in the City of Richmond Hill\"",
    "protected_threshold": "s. 4.1",
    "replacement_required": "s. 6.2(b), s. 6.2(c)",
    "boulevard_trees": "s. 2.2(a)",
    "fine_range": "s. 10.3(a); s. 10.4"
   },
   "transcript_url": "/ca/on/richmond-hill/trees/text-2b653c043a18/",
   "transcript_quality": "exact"
  },
  {
   "primary": true,
   "is_official": true,
   "title": "Trees on City Lands By-law No. 20-25 (Municipal Code Chapter 821)",
   "category": "trees",
   "document_type": "code_chapter",
   "status": "adopted",
   "adopted_date": "2025-04-23",
   "document_url": "http://www.richmondhill.ca/en/shared-content/resources/documents/Community-Standards-By-laws/Trees-on-City-Lands-By-law-No.-20-25-Municipal-Code-Chapter-821.pdf",
   "summary": "Prohibits or regulates injuring/destroying trees on lands under the City's jurisdiction, including boulevard and municipal-property trees; companion to the private-property Tree Preservation By-law.",
   "discovered_by": "on-newcats",
   "discovered_at": "2026-08-29",
   "capture_sha256": "073242b7d82df684ecb2f4124d6629e08c4cb1b66da8b5f142a89ec5d00b682b",
   "captured_at": "2026-08-29T14:33:34+00:00",
   "capture_http_status": 200,
   "snapshot_url": "https://pub-e61c5ee2a8704225bfa8de0c280e8a2c.r2.dev/bylaws/073242b7d82df684ecb2f4124d6629e08c4cb1b66da8b5f142a89ec5d00b682b.pdf",
   "link_dead": false,
   "facts": {
    "permit_required": true,
    "applies_to_private_property": false,
    "protected_threshold": "All City Trees: any perennial woody plant capable of reaching 4.5 metres at physiological maturity, with 50% or more of trunk on City Lands",
    "replacement_required": "Payment of Tree Value, removal and replacement costs, and replanting of replacement Tree or Trees required",
    "boulevard_trees": "City Lands includes any Highway; boulevard trees are City Trees subject to full bylaw prohibitions and approval requirements",
    "fine_range": "Maximum $100,000 per offence; special fines may exceed $100,000; administrative penalties per Schedule \"A\" of Administrative Penalty By-law 69-16"
   },
   "fact_citations": {
    "permit_required": "s. 3.1 — \"Without prior written approval of the Commissioner, no Person shall\"",
    "applies_to_private_property": "s. 2.1 — \"provisions of this by-law apply to all Persons in their dealings with City Trees\"",
    "protected_threshold": "s. 1.2(h) — \"50 percent or more of its trunk situated on City Lands\"; s. 1.2(s) — \"height of at least 4.5 metres at physiological maturity\"",
    "replacement_required": "s. 2.3(i) — \"payment of Tree Value, removal and replacement costs and the replanting of a replacement Tree or Trees\"",
    "boulevard_trees": "s. 1.2(f) — \"City Lands means all lands under the jurisdiction of the City, including any Highway\"",
    "fine_range": "s. 6.4(a) — \"maximum fine for an offence shall be $100,000.00\"; s. 6.5 — \"special fine may exceed $100,000.00\"; s. 6.6(b) — \"administrative penalty in the amount specified in Schedule 'A'\""
   },
   "transcript_url": "/ca/on/richmond-hill/trees/text-073242b7d82d/",
   "transcript_quality": "exact"
  }
 ],
 "source": "https://govanswers.org/ca/on/richmond-hill/trees/"
}