Vancouver Park Board to vote on next phase of Stanley Park tree removal [Video]

The second phase of a planned massive tree removal in Stanley Park is on the agenda at the park board Monday night.

About 160,000 trees have been classified as dead or dying as a result of a hemlock looper moth outbreak and will be cut down. The number works out to about one-third of all trees in the beloved green space.

Crews cut down about 7,000 trees earlier this year, drawing criticism from some residents.

Twent five per cent of Stanely Park’s area was targeted in the first phase of the project and 11 per cent will be targeted in the next phase – with plans to begin in mid-October.

Michael Caditz is the founder of Save Stanley Park. He believes the science does not support the plans to remove the trees.

“The hemlock looper is endemic, it’s native, it’s part of the ecosystem,” he said. “That’s what’s concerning to …