"This is learning by true experience, so now we've specifically identified the plants that we will not approve should a landscape design come to us for approval," said Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.
The group has also worked in recent years to reduce the level of garbage available to bears in the community, leading to Whistler achieving the Bear Smart Community Status for its efforts in 2011. Through the BWG's work, 22 strata garbage sheds were improved in recent years to further prevent access by bears.
"As we reduced the amount of garbage that's available to bears, other priorities have arisen and some of the landscape plants in the valley, such as mountain ash, have come to the forefront as an issue that needed to be dealt with," said BWG co-chair Heather Beresford during Tuesday's presentation.