3 rules for unincorporated Essex County, Massachusetts.
Verified from official government sources
In Essex County the only tree-removal permit that exists is the tree warden's approval for public shade trees. Chapter 87, section 3 bars cutting any tree in the public way without warden consent granted after an advertised public hearing.
MGL c.87 §3
Except as provided by section five, public shade trees shall not be cut, trimmed or removed, in whole or in part, by any person other than the tree warden or his deputy, without a public hearing... notice of the time and place of such hearing... shall be posted in two or more public places in the town and upon the tree at least seven days before such hearing and published in a newspaper of gene...
Essex County protects heritage and roadside trees mainly through the public shade tree law and the Scenic Roads Act. Old trees along designated scenic roads in towns like Ipswich, Boxford and Topsfield cannot be cut without a public hearing.
MGL c.40 §15C
any repair, maintenance, reconstruction, or paving work done with respect thereto shall not involve or include the cutting or removal of trees, or the tearing down or destruction of stone walls, or portions thereof, except with the prior written consent of the planning board, or if there is no planning board, the selectmen of a town, or the city council of a city, after a public hearing duly ad...
No Massachusetts statute forces one-for-one tree replacement, but Essex County communities recover tree value when a public shade tree is destroyed. Chapter 87 sets a forfeiture up to $500, and abutters can claim damages when a town removes a public tree.
MGL c.87 §6
Violations of any provision of the three preceding sections shall be punished by forfeiture of not more than five hundred dollars to the use of the city or town.
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