Squamish-Lillooet Regional District adopts wildfire landscaping management bylaw

Pemberton, BC – The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) Board has adopted a new bylaw designed to increase community resiliency to wildfire hazards by addressing landscaping practices near buildings and structures.

The Wildfire Landscaping Management Bylaw No. 1925-2025 is in effect in Electoral Areas A, B, C and D. The bylaw does not apply to properties located within the District of Lillooet, the Village of Pemberton, the Resort Municipality of Whistler or the District of Squamish, which adopted a similar bylaw in 2021, BYLAW NO. 2834, 2021.  

The SLRD’s Wildfire Landscaping Management Bylaw provides direction on the installation of new landscaping as well as the maintenance of existing landscaping, to help reduce the risk of wildfire hazard. This new bylaw complements the existing Wildfire Protection Development Permit Areas (DPAs), providing regulation to address landscaping on properties where building permits are not required.

The bylaw ensures SLRD residents are aware of the significant risk associated with having fire-prone vegetation within 10 metres of homes and buildings, and provides education and guidance towards fire-resistant plant choices and the ideal management of landscapes and gardens to build wildfire resiliency.

“This new bylaw is an important addition to our wildfire protection and mitigation toolkit,” said SLRD Board Chair Jen Ford. “By formally aligning regulations for new and existing landscaping with FireSmart™ BC best practices, we’re ensuring residents and property owners make safer choices for their yards and this, in turn, benefits the entire region. We will prioritize education and awareness to support community compliance over enforcement.”

For the installation of new landscaping, the bylaw prohibits the use of highly flammable plants such as juniper, cedar and yew within 10 metres of buildings. The bylaw reinforces FireSmart™BC landscaping principles including choosing fire-resistant plants, trees and shrubs, properly spacing plants and trees, the creation of a non-combustible zone around the home.

The bylaw also outlines requirements for the maintenance of existing landscapes. Grass should be cut to a maximum height of 20 centimetres, fire-prone woody debris should always be removed following land-clearing activities, and coniferous trees need to be properly spaced and regularly pruned. To reduce the risk of ignition, fire-prone trees and shrubs should be kept at least 1.5 metres away from structures, and any trees or plants growing under building eaves should be removed.

The SLRD’s approach to all bylaw enforcement is complaints-based, with an emphasis on education and voluntary compliance. Residents are encouraged to visit the SLRD’s Wildfire Protection Regulations webpage to review the bylaw, learn more about the Wildfire Protection Development Permit Areas (DPAs) in place across the SLRD, and explore fire-resistant plant options in the FireSmart™ BC Landscaping Best Practices Guide.

For more information contact the SLRD Planning and Development Department at planning@slrd.bc.ca.

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About the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
Located in southwestern BC, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is a local government federation consisting of four member municipalities (the District of Lillooet, the District of Squamish, the Village of Pemberton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler) and four unincorporated, rural electoral areas (A, B, C, and D). Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of local, regional and sub-regional services to approximately 50,496 residents (2021 Census as certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs).

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is found within the traditional territories of several First Nations, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), St'át'imc and Líl̓wat. Small parts of the SLRD also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka'pamux, Tsilhqot'in, and Secwepemc Nations. While the SLRD does not provide direct services to the residents of the First Nations communities located within the region, the organization is committed to enhancing relations with the Indigenous communities and First Nations within whose territories the SLRD operates.