Pruning Street Trees--Permit?

[guymayor]

Property owners have ownership over the earth below--as Jed Clampett happily found out--and the sky above. If that sky includes branches from a tree that originates elsewhere, we can prune them as long as we do not harm the trunk owner's property in that tree.

But what about street trees? Some cities try to prevent land owners from having the overarching branches of street trees pruned by anyone but the city crews. Permits are sometimes required.

Is this legal? Constitutional? Who prunes street trees in your city?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Our crews do most of the time. Either in routine cycles or when a resident calls in to ask

If the resident wants a tree service to do the work they have to get a free permit. A formality so that someone In Forestry knows who is doing the work

After all, in Minneapolis the trees within the easemant belong to the whole city not the resident

 

[JeffOpar]

Hey Guy,
I can speak for the street trees of Durham NC. We dont want anyone touching them with out first demonstrating the knowledge, ability, and intent to properly care for the tree. As said above, the street tree belongs to every one, not just the adjacent property owner.
That being said, utility pruning is unfortunately not this cut and dry.
On a side note, I would love to pick your brain about applying retrenchment principles to our mature Quercus phellos population. I have lots of questions. Let my know if I can buy you lunch sometime in Durham.

 

[Merle Nelson]

In CA everywhere I was aware of, it used to be the city that owned and maintained the street trees.

At some point the stroke of a pen shifted responsibility for maintenance over to the home owner - all the way down to replacing sidewalks that are lifted by roots. One man on a curved cul-de-sac paid $9,000 to have 'everyones' sidewalk rebuilt.

You can bet his street tree was gone first.

 

[craneguy1]

North eastern ohio chiming in....many cities are happy to hear/allow the homeowner to have the trees trimmed...removal only after someone comes out and signs off on it...normally not a tree guy either...few cities around here have a forestry department anymore.

 

[JontreeHI]

Portland or, street trees require a free permit to prune. No cuts over 6". HO must also pay for sidewalks
On Oahu the city owns and maintains your street tree of their choice

 

[guymayor]

Portland is smart with that 6" limit. Should be SOP.


Here's a pic of a rotting 10" wound caused by a utility V-cutting an old tree that had been traditionally U-cut. On their next trip they cleaned out the V real nice by whacking that nasty 4" sprout, ensuring that the rot will spread. This leader hangs over a house. The city allows this cutting of the base of the leader, but is all over controlling what happens to the end of it.