Tree Information (Public Vs. Private Trees)

The city presently maintains over 10,000 trees in city right of ways, parks, and open spaces.

Is it a private or city owned tree?

Before you undertake any pruning or cutting of a tree in front of your property, you need to determine if it is a city owned tree or yours. The city has varying right of ways from street to street; sometimes even block to block there is a difference. Here are some simple ways to try and determine if it is a city owned tree or a privately owned one.

• Is the tree located in the parkway?  This is the area between curb and sidewalk. If so it is city owned.
• If there is no parkway but there is curb and sidewalk, any tree within five feet is usually city owned.
• If there is no curb or sidewalk, the city could have a right of way of 15 feet or more beyond the roadway.

When in doubt, it is best to call the city to determine if it is a city or a private tree. There are fines for cutting city owned trees. Call 538-2415 for more information.