City staff is recommending council pump the brakes on a proposed tree by-law, following community consultations.
83 per cent of those surveyed were opposed to the by-law, which would have restricted homeowners from cutting down trees without going through city permits and inspections.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley admits the by-law was premature.
He says they're shifting focus to the development of an Urban Forest Management Study.
"That's where I think we should be moving," says Bradley. "We should be developing a policy that will bring about more trees in the community, more coverage of the ground in the community by trees. That's a positive thing to do, not a regressive law that would have added more costs, and more staff and would have been an invasion of property rights."
Bradley says the city could re-visit a tree by-law, in some form, pending the findings of the study.
To address concerns surrounding pre-development clear-cutting, staff is recommending a report on the site alteration by-law be returned to council in 2018.