Dear Editor:
Tree-hugging: misguided principles in West Vancouver?
Along with many others, the wind and snowstorms knocked out our power this past week — for more than 24 hours. And for the second time in seven years, a family member almost missed an international flight at YVR because downed trees and power lines lying across Marine Drive prevented vehicles exiting our community. Hence, I am frustrated with (the District of) West Vancouver’s desire to “protect” overgrown trees.
Let’s be absolutely clear — West Vancouver is a residential community. It is neither a park/tree reserve nor an experimental carbon-sequestering scheme.
In fact, residential West Vancouver was once largely devoid of large trees due to commercial logging — check out the archival photos. But now there are too many overgrown trees for a residential area. This places people, property and power lines at risk whenever a tree or its limbs fall, like last week.
I am not advocating a clear-cut of West Vancouver again, but selective removal of the larger and potentially more dangerous trees, and replacement with smaller-sized trees is a safe and sensible alternative. “Protecting” overgrown large trees, which is the current policy, is misguided and unnecessary.
In fact, some of “principles” purported by the municipality to support their new tree policy are wrong. For example, “trees stabilize slopes.” Not true. It is the roots that stabilize slopes and these can be left in the ground for decades if not centuries after a tree is felled, which is ample time for newly planted trees to form a canopy (a 300-year-old cedar root is still in my yard).
Besides, a big tree is less stable than a small tree, especially if isolated. Similarly, “big trees purportedly remove more carbon from the air than small trees.” Again, this is not true. Juvenile trees grow at a faster rate than mature ones and so sequester carbon at a faster rate. It is the canopy cover that is the critical determinant for capturing sunlight and carbon. An exception at our latitudes is a tall solo tree, which is unfortunately unprotected in a windstorm.
What is needed is some real science behind tree policies. So let’s start by acknowledging that large, mature trees are a significant risk, especially if isolated. Residential trees should be given an ornamental status rather than some misguided attempt to recreate a former wilderness. Arborists need to create effective green canopies in our gardens that will capture carbon without excessive and risky tree height.
Cedar trees likely capture carbon and hold snow on their branches better than our spindly, limb-losing hemlock firs. Roots of large felled trees can be left in place for slope management, if needed. I am sure the hard-working BC Hydro line workers who repair downed power lines in miserable weather would appreciate more common sense rather than misguided tree-hugging principles.
In case you are interested, both family members successfully trudged with their suitcases along ice and snow-covered sidewalks to catch a cab that came to the other side of the downed tree.
Tony Farrell
West Vancouver
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