Urban Forestry
Guidelines for Maintaining City-owned Trees Using a Qualified Contractor
Property owners may arrange to personally hire a qualified contractor to perform work on city owned trees located on boulevards and in 
parks.
This includes:
- Pruning
- Tree removal
- Stumping
- Planting
Process for hiring a contractor:
- The property owner must complete the attached “Agreement for
Contractors to Perform Arboricultural Services on Trees
Under the Control of the Urban Forestry Branch.”
- This agreement must be signed by both the owner and the contractor for approval
- Submit original agreement for approval to the Urban Forestry Branch: Supervisor of Forestry & DED Operations - 1539 Waverley St. Winnipeg, MB. R3T 4V7.
- You will be contacted within 10 working day if approved/denied
- If approved, work can proceed.
Contractor Info Here
The following contractors have pre-qualified for this work:
Kildonan Tree Service
Office - (204)233-9337
Shurwood Tree Service
Call - (204)801-0161
Green Drop
Tree Care
Office - (204)633-6205
Fax - (204)694-1042
Alliance Tree Care
Call - (204)777-8733
McEwen Bros. Ltd.
Call - (204)338-0351
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a property owner prune, remove, or plant a tree themselves?
What qualifications are required for a contractor to maintain city-owned trees?
What type of pruning is acceptable?
Can trees be planted on city-owned property?
Once the agreement is completed, how long do I have to wait for Urban Forestry Branch approval?
What if the work is not completed to the satisfaction of the Urban Forestry Branch staff?
What if the contractor damages other property?
How do I find a qualified contractor? Where do I look?
What kind of costs am I looking at?
Is there a list of tree species that the City recommends for planting?
What kind of restrictions are there for the location of trees to be planted?
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the
pruning, removal, and planting of trees is relatively high
risk work that must be completed by qualified and insured
experts (see the “Agreement for Contractors to Perform
Arboricultural Services on Trees Under the Control of the
Urban Forestry Branch”). Risks from improperly completed
work include damage to property and
injury to members of the public. Therefore, this type
of work is not allowed except by a professional who has
qualified with us.
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All contractors must be licensed Manitoba Arborists, carry appropriate insurance, be covered by Worker's Compensation and provide evidence of an acceptable safety and health program. The contractors must pre-qualify with us before they are able to prune and remove trees.
Pruning must be in accordance with the City of Winnipeg specifications included in the formal agreement. These standards follow the “ANSI A3000 Part1-2001 Pruning Standards". The following pruning objectives must be followed: structural; cleaning; thinning; raising; and restoration. The “topping” of trees is not an acceptable pruning practice, and will not be approved.
Yes,
city-owned trees can be removed as long as Urban Forestry
Branch staff and the local area Councillor have approved the
removal. The property owner must
first apply, in writing, to the Urban Forestry Branch
requesting a tree removal. This letter must contain the
reasons why the tree is to be removed. Urban Forestry
Branch staff will investigate the tree and the City
Councillor from the area must also agree to the removal.
Once this part of the tree removal
process is completed, the property owner may then complete
the
"Agreement
for Contractors to Perform Arboricultural Services on Trees
Under the Control of the Urban Forestry Branch”.
Yes,
trees can be planted on city-owned property, however, the species and
location must still be approved by the Urban Forestry
Branch. Please add as much information as possible on
Schedule D including the species of the tree,
size of the tree stock to be planted and
where will the tree be planted. A hand written diagram of
the planting location is preferred.
At this time, this agreement is a pilot project. Once the application is completed and returned to us, Urban Forestry Branch staff will make every effort to approve the proposed work within 7 - 10 working days. Work can commence once you have received our approval on the agreement.
Urban Forestry Branch staff will inspect the work. If the work is not completed properly, the property owner will be requested to remedy the situation within 3 days. If the work is not completed to the satisfaction of the City, City of Winnipeg staff may complete the necessary work and may recover the costs incurred in a like manner as municipal taxes.
The property owner is responsible to ensure there is no damage to turf or other trees from the tree maintenance work. If there is damage, the property owner will be requested to remedy the situation within 3 days. If the work is not completed to the satisfaction of the City, City of Winnipeg staff may complete the necessary work and may recover the costs incurred in a like manner as municipal taxes.
A number of contractors have pre-qualified to complete this work, they are: Shurwood Forest Tree Service, Kildonan Tree Service, The Tree Guys Inc., Alliance Tree Care and Green Drop Tree Care.
Tips for hiring an arborist are available at www.treesaregood.com. The main points from this website are summarized below and include specific details for work performed in Manitoba:
We also recommend that you follow these guidelines:
- Get references to find out where the company has done work similar to the work you are requesting. Check the references or visit other worksites where the company has done or is doing tree work.
- Get more than one estimate.
- Get the estimate in writing. Questions to ask include:
- When would the work be started and completed?
- Who will be responsible for clean-up?
- Is this the total price?
Costs are variable depending on the type of work to be done. We recommend that you obtain estimates from 3 qualified contractors.
The Urban Forestry Branch maintains a list of recommended tree species for planting (click here for a list of tree species) Each site has specific growing conditions which should be considered for appropriate species selection. Species selection would be approved through the agreement.
There are various restrictions such as utility lines, underground infrastructure, intersections, traffic control signs and signals, and above- and below-ground growing space.
NEW ADDRESS:
1539 Waverley St. , Winnipeg, MB,
Canada
R3T 4V7
For more information call 311
