Stanley Park forest management

Risk assessment report

The Stanley Park Hemlock Looper Impact and Wildfire Risk Assessment PDF file (4.2 MB) details the extent of the damage in which 160,000 of the approximately 600,000 trees in Stanley Park are dead or dying. Only a fraction of these impacted trees will need to be removed due to their risks to public safety.  

Phase 1 completed

During the first phase of emergency work from October 2023 to April 2024, less than 8,000 trees were removed in 25% of the affected forest areas that posed the highest risks to public safety.

This emergency response addressed the Stanley Park Causeway, Prospect Point, the Train precinct, Pipeline Road and sections along Stanley Park Drive. The work culminated with the planting of 25,000 native trees last spring. Approximately half of the trees removed in the first phase were more than 20 centimetres in diameter and the remainder were smaller material. 

We performed targeted removal of dead and dying trees across 67 out of 263 hectares of forested area in Stanley Park. 7201 trees that were impacted by the Hemlock looper moth were removed or treated by subcontractors between October 2023 and March 2024.

Some facts about the wood:

• 6 loads of firewood were delivered to local First Nations for longhouse and ceremonial use.
• 1 load of firewood was delivered to Vancouver Police Department to support the On the Land Cultural Training Program External website, opens in new tab.
• 142 loads (2,130 metric tonnes) of brush and fine fuels were removed from the park and chipped into green waste.
• 63 loads of wood were hauled to a scaling yard, generating 2,956 m³ of logs. 105 m³ of these logs, comprised of fir and cedar, have been set aside for the local First Nations. We are still coordinating delivery.

Most of the affected trees are dead and dying Western hemlocks, which make up a large portion of the Stanley Park forest and are the preferred food source of the looper moth.

A smaller number of Douglas Firs and Western Red Cedars are also affected.

Forestry professionals and tree risk assessors assess whether the affected trees should be felled to remove potential hazards or can be left in place, where possible.

 Outcomes

• Trees that have the top removed and dead branches trimmed become wildlife habitat.
• Other trees that are left on the ground act as nurse logs that help to regenerate the surrounding ecosystem.
• Trees are also cut and left as coarse, woody debris on the forest floor for ecological purposes and others are cleared to reduce wildfire risk.

The hemlock looper insect aggressively feeds on foliage causing various degrees of defoliation. The decay process of within the stem wood takes years, so some of the recently cut trees may look fresh or alive, but they are not.

Over time, as the wood loses structural integrity from decay, secondary insects and woodpeckers, the failure of tops, branches, and whole trees poses an increasing risk to public safety and park infrastructure. 

Because of the extensive damage caused by the hemlock looper moth, the majority of trees being cut in Stanley Park are dead, degraded, and small diameter hemlocks that are not suitable to be repurposed or sold for profit.

Marketable hemlock logs must meet specific size, quality, and condition standards, to make them suitable for commercial purposes. Hemlock is considered a low-value species and typically displays some decay or has visual defects like knots.

Because of operational constraints when felling trees in Stanley Park, some logs are also cut into shorter lengths, making them unsuitable for repurposing. Very few higher-value species like Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar are being removed from Stanley Park.

Timber that can be cut into commercially viable logs will be transported to a yard in Squamish for scaling (measuring by gross and net value to determine quality) and sorting.

Here, timber with potential for cultural use by First Nations will be offered to the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. We are working with the Nations to establish a process for fair distribution of wood.

Any remaining commercially viable logs will be graded and sold to local wood processing facilities including saw mills, pulp mills, and plywood plants. The expected return on this wood is minimal (less than 5% of the costs of the overall mitigation/restoration project).

Nation members of Musqueam, Squamish, or Tsleil-Waututh can contact their band office with questions or requests. 

Stanley Park’s forest has changed over time because of human impacts as well as natural disturbances such as major wind events. As a result, western hemlock has become over-represented leading to a less resilient forest. Compared to other conifer species, western hemlocks are more susceptible to disease, windthrow, and stem breakage. 

Tree planting plan 

Each tree removed in impacted areas will be restored through dedicated tree planting and replaced with a more diverse mix of species to support a stronger forest that is more resilient to future insect outbreaks and climate change impacts. We planted over 25,000 seedlings in spring of 2024 and replanting will resume in spring 2025.

Urban tree trouble: Insights from Stanley Park (June 30, 2024)

A stronger Stanley Park - replanting plan update (June 3, 2024)

How we're working to support a stronger Stanley Park forest (February 15, 2024)

Why Stanley Park’s trees are looking brown (October 20, 2022)