Courtenay hands out $200K in fines after 107 protected trees damaged

An arborist is pictured cutting branches with chainsaw in this file photo. (iStock)

The City of Courtenay has announced hefty fines for a contractor and property management company after more than 100 protected trees were damaged in the community.

The municipality says 107 protected trees were either cut down or damaged while work was being done on a property on 20th Street near Lambert Drive in mid-December.

"The area is within a riparian area of the Piercy Creek watershed, and protected by a covenant which required that it remain in a natural state," said the city in a statement Tuesday.

Now, both the contractor and property management company face fines of $107,000 each – $1,000 for each protected tree – totalling $214,000.

"These are heavy penalties, but the fines are clearly laid out in our bylaws," said Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells in a statement.

"Riparian areas are protected by law, and there are serious consequences for those who damage them," he said.

The city says the tree damage was reported on Dec. 16, at which point the municipality ordered that all work stop.

Generally, tree cutting permits are required if an area falls under a similar covenant or within an environmentally sensitive area, according to the city.

Municipal workers investigated the work site and determined that adjacent property owners were not involved in the tree cutting.

The city says it also notified Fisheries and Oceans Canada since the tree cutting occurred next to a stream.

The contractor and property management company now have 14 days to pay or dispute the fine.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.