Planning some work on your mature trees? Remember that the City of College Park requires a permit to remove a tree over 36” in circumference at a height of 4½ feet above the soil line, or to prune more than 20% of a tree's live branches.

Trees provide many benefits to our community, including cleaner air, lower temperatures, reduction of flooding, increased property values, and numerous health benefits. The City's Trees Guide (www.collegeparkmd.gov/Trees) provides more on how a healthy urban tree canopy benefits us all.

The City’s tree canopy protection code, which became effective July 1, 2022, is a way to help sustain and grow our tree canopy. In the code’s first year, 117 applications were submitted to the City and 106 received approved permits.

The permit application is free and online here. City staff will review and evaluate each permit within 15 business days.

A permit will be issued if the tree is:

● dead or diseased,

● hazardous to the safety of persons or property and the risk cannot be mitigated using approved tree care practices,

● an invasive species identified on the Maryland Invasive Species Council list

● objectively determined to adversely impact the property because of its location, condition, or effect on other structures or trees,

● located near houses or utilities where it can cause structural damage, or

● located where it would make it difficult for a property owner to expand the footprint of the house in conjunction with an approved building permit from the County and City.

If tree work is urgently needed due to imminent endangerment of people or property, the tree code allows for the work to be done immediately, as long as the property owner applies for a permit afterward. Be sure to take photos beforehand that thoroughly depict the need for the work, to include with your application.

An approved tree permit must be obtained before the tree work begins, unless it is an emergency. The approved tree permit must be posted so that it is visible from the street until the work is done. The work should be done within 1 year of permit issuance, and replacement trees must be planted within 1 year of tree removal.

An approved tree removal permit requires replacement trees to be planted, to help sustain our tree canopy. If the removed tree measures 36 to 48 inches circumference, one replacement tree will need to be planted. If the removed tree measures more than 48 inches in circumference, two replacement trees will need to be planted. The City has programs to help residents who need or want to plant new trees, including the Tree Canopy Enhancement Program, tree giveaways, and contracted tree planting.

If your removal application is denied, please consider the reasons for the denial. Healthy, non-invasive trees that don't endanger persons or property are valuable assets to property owners, residents, and the entire community. Some issues with trees may be addressed by professionals using appropriate tree care practices. If you continue to think that tree removal or pruning is necessary, you may request an opinion from a third-party assessor qualified as an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist or a Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) arborist that is licensed and insured to perform tree assessments in Maryland. The City will reimburse the property owner 50% of the cost of the assessment. More details are in the City's Tree Guide (www.collegeparkmd.gov/Trees).

Thanks for helping keep College Park a vibrant and sustainable community by protecting and enhancing our tree canopy!

From the City's Tree and Landscape Board