Road detours near Stanley Park for tree cutting due to moth infestation

Tree-cutting caused by moth infestation in Stanley Park will change some routes between April 30 to May 10 on weekdays.

In an X post Tuesday, the Vancouver Park Board says, the seawall and Stanley Park Drive by Brockton Point will see detours as crews carry out “tree work” in response to a hemlock looper moth infestation.

The Park Board says the removal of dead trees at Brockton Point is in relation to a previous hemlock looper moth infestation that affected approximately 25 per cent of trees in Stanley Park.

It says this project is a multi-year initiative that was started to reduce risks to public safety in the park.

“In support of bird nesting season, all work has been informed by professional biologists to avoid impacts to nesting birds,” a Park Board spokesperson said in a statement.

The City of Vancouver’s website says a significant portion of the park has been affected, particularly near Lions Gate Bridge.

“This outbreak also affects parts of West and North Vancouver, where many trees are dying,” it says.

It says after recent droughts and hard winters, trees in Stanley Park have become more vulnerable to the hemlock looper outbreak and are less likely to recover.

The city says to manage the infestation, it is consulting a forestry expert whose report outlines a careful approach focusing on “risk mitigation and ecological enhancements for long-term forest health.”

“In the meantime, we will continue to manage dead and dry trees that present public safety and wildfire risks,” it said.