Proposed budget cuts threaten a new bylaw that protects urban trees, a City of Ottawa advisory committee says.

The bylaw requires homeowners and developers to get removal permits for all trees with trunks larger than 50 centimetres in diameter on properties less than one hectare in size.

Since it began last September, the program has received 400 calls, half of which resulted in permits.

Nicole Parent, chair of the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee, said a proposed $2 million cut to the city's forestry budget could limit the effectiveness of the bylaw.

"Neighbours and residents are actually buying into the whole idea of having an urban tree bylaw, and that's great momentum," she said. "So the city's done a good job doing that. But at the same time they have to support it now with the staff needed."

She said she worries homeowners and developers will simply cut down trees if the city can’t answer their requests quickly enough.

David Barkley, Ottawa's manager of forestry services, said his department is fulfilling a commitment made to council to issue a tree-cutting permit within two weeks. But he said they need more staff because more people are calling with requests for permits.

"If the positions are cut, we may not be able to respond to the number of calls we're faced with if we don’t have the resources," he said.

The committee is scheduled to appear before city council on Monday to lobby against the proposed cuts to the forestry program.