The Township's $350 tree voucher: who can apply, when, and what the fine print says

The Township of Langley will pay up to $350 toward a tree for your yard, and the application link goes live on its Tree Voucher Program page on Monday, October 26 at 8:30 am. The supply is limited and it is first come, first served, so this is the week to read the rules. We did, including the terms and conditions, so you can skip to the parts that matter.

Do I qualify?

You need an address in the Township of Langley, and the tree has to go in the ground on private property at that address. One voucher per address per year. Langley City residents are not eligible; this is a Township program only.

There is a twist in the first week. From October 26 to 31 the Township takes applications only from addresses that have never received a tree voucher before. If your address got one in an earlier year and you apply during those six days, the application is simply not kept, and you have to apply again on or after November 1. From November 1, whatever is left goes to any eligible address, first come, first served.

When exactly do I apply?

The form is not up yet. The Township says the link will be posted on the program page on Monday, October 26 at 8:30 am. Vouchers are issued by email only, so use an address you check. Note that the email you give is shared with the nursery you pick, because the nursery administers the redemption.

What can I buy with it?

Trees. Deciduous, evergreen or coniferous, one tree or several, up to $350 including tax, at the one nursery you chose on your application. Anything over $350 you pay at the till. The voucher does not cover annuals, perennials, shrubs, hedging or palm trees, and it does not cover the stuff around the tree: no soil, fertilizer, mulch, stakes, tools or pruning gear.

Size matters, too. A tree variety whose mature height is under three metres is not eligible. The one exception is useful for a lot of Langley yards: edible fruit and nut trees qualify no matter how tall they grow, so a dwarf apple or a hazelnut counts.

Where do I spend it?

Two nurseries are in the program this year. Cedar Rim Nursery is the Langley one, a family-owned place on Glover Road in the Milner area (its site lists retail hours of 9 to 5 most days and 10 to 5 Sundays, but check before you drive). Art’s Nursery is at 8940 192 Street, a few blocks over the Surrey line. You pick one on the application and the voucher is only good there.

Bring photo ID that matches the name on the voucher. Nobody else can redeem it for you, not even someone from the same household. You can print the voucher or show it on your phone. The Township says nursery staff will help you choose a tree that suits the spot you describe and tell you how to plant and look after it, which is worth taking them up on.

What strings are attached?

More than you might expect for a $350 coupon, and they run for a year:

• The Township can inspect the tree at your address for 12 months after purchase, with reasonable notice, to confirm it was actually planted.
• You cannot remove the tree within those 12 months without the Township’s written consent, except in an emergency. If it has to come out, you notify Parks Operations at [email protected] right away, and they may ask for a photo.
• If the Township finds the tree was never planted, or was removed inside the 12 months, you owe it the full value of the voucher.
• The nursery reports back to the Township on what and how many trees you bought.
• No cash value, no refunds. If the tree dies, the nursery’s own guarantee policy applies; the Township takes no responsibility for survival or replacement.

One more thing that is not in the voucher terms but is worth knowing before you plant: under the Township’s Tree Protection Bylaw, a tree on private property with a trunk 20 centimetres or more across at chest height needs a permit to cut down, with a fee and sometimes an arborist’s report. A sapling is nowhere near that, but the one you plant this fall is a decision your future self lives with. Pick the spot with the mature size in mind, away from the sewer line, the fence and the neighbour’s view.

Why is the Township doing this?

The program page puts it plainly: to add to the Township’s urban tree canopy by getting trees planted on private property, which is where most of the land is. The 12-month inspection and no-removal rules exist so the money ends up as a living tree rather than a coupon.

If you miss out

Vouchers run out, and the Township does not say how many there are. If you do not get one, both nurseries still sell trees, and the same bylaw rules apply either way.