A recent assessment confirmed the accelerated deterioration of these trees, particularly along Stanley Park Drive and North Lagoon Drive.
Vancouver is allocating almost $3 million to ramp up the removal of dead trees in Stanley Park that are decaying faster than expected due to a hemlock looper moth infestation.
The infestation, which began five years ago, has killed an estimated 160,000 trees, mostly western hemlock. A recent third-party assessment confirmed the accelerated deterioration of the trees, particularly along Stanley Park Drive and North Lagoon Drive.
According to Alexander Ralph, the city’s chief procurement officer, the infestation has increased the tree decay.
“Many are now structurally unstable,” Ralph said in a report to city council last month. “While roads have been cleared for access, some trails remain closed” due to fallen debris.
This rapid decay is outpacing the city’s phased risk mitigation plan, the report states.
The hemlock looper moth is an endemic species that triggers population surges every 15 years. This latest outbreak has led to “significant tree mortality,” with the park board already removing about 8,000 trees as part of its plan to clear around 30,000.
As part of the effort, park board crews will also replant tree seedlings of native species — including Douglas fir, western red cedar, grand fir, big leaf maple and red alder — in the newly cleared areas.
To address the growing problem, the city has allocated an additional $2.76 million to accelerate Phase 3 of the tree removal project. This follows the ongoing Phase 2 work, which is clearing an additional 4,000 trees, including those near the Vancouver Aquarium and Brockton Point.
This funding comes from a one-time increase to the Vancouver park board’s 2024 budget, approved by city council following a contract modification with B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd., the consultancy overseeing the project.
Work will continue into early 2025, with priority given to remove the most dangerous trees before spring’s bird nesting season in March. Areas of focus include Stanley Park Drive, North Lagoon Drive, the seawall from Siwash Rock to Second Beach and trails closed due to fallen debris.
The report warns that without immediate action park areas and nearby roads — especially Stanley Park Drive and North Lagoon Drive — could face prolonged closures. This would disrupt traffic, impact events and heighten safety risks, including the potential for wildfires.
— With files from Cheryl Chan