Trees provide many benefits to communities, but they also require care and management to maximize those benefits. Trees are green infrastructure and are important parts of the community. There are four major parts to managing your community's urban trees for their health and yours:
- Tree Ordinance: Provides authority for the program, defines municipal responsibilities for public and private trees, assigns responsibility for public trees and may establish a tree board
- Tree Board: Oversees policy formulation, advising, administration, management, representation and/or advocacy for community trees.
- Management Plan: Focuses on the long-term growth and development of a community forest and identifies the steps needed to care for the urban forest. Management plans should be based upon tree inventories.
- Trained staff: staff are up to date on best practices for tree care and management as well as safety.
DEC urban foresters are available to help your community develop the components of a well-managed community forest. For more information contact your local DEC office.
Tree Ordinance
A tree ordinance provides the framework for managing the community forest. It provides legal authority for:
- conducting forestry programs,
- defining municipal responsibility for public and private trees, and
- passing regulations and setting minimum standards for management.
At a minimum, for a tree ordinance to qualify for Tree City USA, it must:
- Assign authority over public trees – such as to a tree department, tree board, or specific staff person
- provide clear guidance for planting, maintaining, and/or removing trees from streets, parks, and other public spaces
A tree ordinance is a tool for the successful management of a healthy community forest. There is no one ordinance that works for every community. Each community has unique needs, and their tree ordinance should address those needs. Some communities may not have a single tree ordinance but may choose to address trees in several different but related ordinances or regulations.
For help getting started developing a tree ordinance, you can review municipal tree ordinances from neighboring communities and available online resources. Municipalities drafting new tree ordinances or updating their existing ordinances should engage community members, nonprofit groups, homeowners, businesses, and other stakeholders in the process of drafting the ordinance. Connecting with the state urban forestry program and neighboring communities to learn what has worked well can be very helpful as well.
Tips for Creating a Tree Ordinance
- Community engagement in developing the ordinance is essential to its successful passage and implementation. Community members should be involved in the determination of needs, drafting, and public review and hearings. Public engagement goes both ways – provide community members updates and information and solicit their input.
- Review multiple resources on writing ordinances before getting started
- Consider your community’s goals for its trees first
- Create an "standards and specifications" document to reference in your tree ordinance and include as an appendix. This document lists up-to-date detailed tree planting and maintenance standards and specifications. It is better to reference this document in the ordinance, so the ordinance does not need to be changed as standards change. The International Society of Arboriculture and the American Association of Nurserymen's American Standard for Nursery Stock are good references for these standards.
- DEC urban foresters can assist you in developing an ordinance for your community. For more information contact your local DEC Lands and Forests office.
