British Columbia: Replacing Mature Forest

We're living in a strata townhouse in Lynn Valley in North Vancouver. Behind our unit is natural forest to depth of about 50-60 feet, then another block of townhouses. The biggest trees are cedars with a trunk diameter of maybe 2 1/2 to 3 feet.

Until three years ago this area was fully treed, very private, and shady. Sadly the strata landscape committee, under guidance of a "professional", mounted a wholesale attack on the area under the guise of management and took down nearly every tree.

This included at least four large full grown trees that were deemed to be potentially hazardous, and any smaller trees around and beneath them.

We now have two problems (well, three if you count the landscape committee :)).

The first is a complete lack of privacy. From our windows you can now look into the windows of the townhouses behind us, and then through those units into the townhouses behind them!

The second issue is water. As is common on the North Shore, there are old creeks running in various places. What we've seen now is is that all of the water that used be used by these grand trees is now accumulating behind our unit, creating mud, drainage issues, and now a small stream!

Despite repeated promises to replant the area behind us - which is likely 200 feet by 50 or 60 feet) nothing has happened other than one lone juniper.

My question, with the proviso that I'm really not a gardener by any means, but can certainly follow direction, is what we could plant back there that would be indigenous, fast growing, would give us privacy, and which hopefully could address the issues surrounding water. The area is now moderately sunny.

Also at issue are strata plans to add drainage tile along the back of our units (a good thing) and to take whatever is dug out of the trenches and dump/spread it in the forest behind us. My guess is we're looking at nasty black mud/rotting vegetation; sand and gravel, and rock.

Any advice or conjecture would be welcome.

Barry

 

Your basic problem is that many people live in townhouses because they hate yard work. You are dealing with the wrong crowd to try and interest in plants and landscaping. As you have seen: some pretty substantial trees were sacrificed at the Altar of Arborphobia. What do you think the group wants to do from this point? The politics of the situation is what is determining the outcomes, not what kinds of plants it might be possible to grow there with comparative ease.

 

To be honest, I doubt that these folks will do anything. Tempting though a mess of bamboo would be, we're thinking of surreptitiously adding some rhododendrons amd maybe a nice cherry tree, but are open to ideas.

 

The slop coming out of the ditches may kill plants over whose roots it is dumped. Does this proposed disposal site belong to the development? What government regulations might apply to such an undertaking? You might also be interested in what rules were supposed to be followed during the clearing of the space between the buildings, it sounds like significant natural drainage patterns have been adversely affected. Down here anything involving drainage and what might qualify for designation as wetlands (it doesn't take much) is a real hot potato these days.

 

Here is an extract from the District of North Vancouver Tree Removal Policy:

7.0 TREE WORK ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
7.1 Tree work on private property is regulated under the Environmental Protection and Preservation Bylaw (Bylaw 6515) as defined in section 22.
7.2 Property owners must determine whether the trees on their property are governed by the Environmental Protection and Preservation Bylaw.
7.3 If the Environmental Protection and Preservation Bylaw regulations apply, the property owner is required to make a permit application under the Bylaw.
7.4 If removal is permitted, replacement trees will be required as compensation​

http://www.dnv.org/upload/documents/bylaws/6515-2.pdf

Such large scale tree clearing, drainage disruption and soil removal sounds like it is probably illegal under the bylaw. Even if you decide not to report the Strata because as an owner, you don't want to risk a special levy to cover the fine, you could still use the law as leverage to force your strata to plant replacements and make them more cautious about the risks they are taking.

 

Thanks Denis & Teresa. I was in fact wondering about DNV rules. You saved me a hunt.

Barry