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Tree Damage and Arborcide

It is illegal and punishable by law for citizens to remove, kill, or damage a street or park tree, whether intentionally or accidentally.

No one is allowed to perform any work on a tree unless they are employed by Parks or are under a pruning or removal contract with Parks. Certified Citizen Pruners, who are trained to do light tree pruning by Trees New York, are authorized by the city to prune small branches that can be reached from the ground. Any Citizen Pruner who performs tree work outside of these guidelines is subject to arrest and fine.

Anyone caught removing or otherwise harming a tree should be reported immediately. Call 311 to notify an officer.

To have a damaged tree inspected, call 311 or submit your request through our forestry service request system.

Submit a Forestry Service Request
You may also use our new forestry service request system to submit a service request, and we’ll route your submission to the appropriate Parks Department division and provide you with a tracking number and details about how your request will be addressed.