Highrise development...

This is an archived shot (2005?) of a cedar in R's garden. When I walked down there and saw wood chips the size of
Fritos scattered around the trees, I thought her crazy tree-stalking neighbour had finally gone on a bender with a little hatchet.





The real culprit (of course, silly me) was...

















...a Pileated Woodpecker (photo from the Internet). But who says there are no straight lines in nature?? That's one left-brained woodpecker. Looks like a little high-rise condo.

...Which it would have been if the stump was left standing as a snag/wildlife tree. Arborists can "sculpt" the top-cut to look as if it broke off in a dramatic storm instead of leaving a blunt 40-foot stump. Then you can spy on your bird-condo with your binoculars (an otherwise frowned-upon activity if you yourself live in a high-rise complex).

As for the crazy neighbour, big-tree vandalism/arboricide is a not-infrequent crime on the North Shore in general, when million-dollar views are impinged-upon.

Some individuals seem unaware that they live in a rainforest and send threatening letters from back-pocket lawyers, condemning leaves that drift over the property line, roots that threaten devastation of driveway tarmac, etc. Is a Save the Driveways Society on order? I suggest that these people should automatically lose land rights and be relegated to concrete highrises forever.

In reality, I suggested that R connect with West Vancouver Streamkeepers, a volunteer organization that monitors activities in stream corridors (there's a stream on crazy-neighbour's property). They have been terrific, and most importantly, there's a community-based watchdog of the goings-on on both sides of the fence.

Also in reality, big tree safety issues are legitimate concerns, especially with our big storms of late. A certified arborist can help assess whether a tree is hazardous. If you're wondering about legalities, check out your city's website and search "tree removal." The North Vancouver District search sends me to Frequently Asked Questions and the following reference to the Environmental Protection and Preservation Bylaw. Here's a cut-n'-paste:

Does the bylaw protect all trees? If not, how do I know if I need a tree permit?
A: The bylaw does not protect all trees. It protects trees within stream corridors, trees on steep slopes 30o or greater, wildlife trees, heritage trees, large mature trees of 0.75 m in diameter or greater and Western Yew trees of 0.25 m in diameter or greater (diameter measured 1 m off the ground).
A permit is required to cut or remove a protected tree.
A permit is not required for general maintenance and tree pruning done according to the International Society of Arboriculture's standards

And, for clarification, a "stream corridor" is within 30 m/100 feet of the top bank of a fish-bearing stream. Let's assume all streams are fish-bearing.