Rockland County has no wildland-urban-interface brush clearance mandate, but property maintenance codes require owners to remove dead vegetation and combustible debris near structures. Palisades Interstate Park and Bear Mountain watershed areas have heightened wildfire risk during March-May dry season.
Rockland County brush clearance is governed by town-level property maintenance codes adopted under the NYS Property Maintenance Code (19 NYCRR Part 1226). Clarkstown Town Code Chapter 189 (Property Maintenance), Ramapo Chapter 263, and Orangetown Chapter 25 require owners to keep properties free of accumulated combustible materials, dead vegetation, and fire hazards. No specific defensible space distance is codified like California's 100-foot rule. However, properties adjacent to Palisades Interstate Park, Harriman State Park, and Bear Mountain (Stony Point, Haverstraw) face heightened attention during the NYS DEC-mandated March 15-May 15 high fire danger period (6 NYCRR Part 215). The NY State Forest Ranger service monitors wildland fire risk. Private property wildfire history in Rockland is limited compared to upstate/Adirondack regions, but steep, wooded Hudson Highlands terrain creates local hazards. Town fire marshals respond to complaints about overgrown combustible vegetation near structures. Nyack and Piermont Hudson riverfront properties must also manage invasive phragmites under DEC guidance.
Property maintenance violation: $250-$1,000 per town code. City abatement at owner's expense with property lien. DEC burn-ban period violations: up to $18,000.
Rockland County, NY
Rockland County has no countywide leaf blower ordinance. Town/village noise codes apply: Clarkstown, Orangetown, and Nyack restrict gas blowers to 8 AM to 6 ...
Rockland County, NY
RV and boat parking in Rockland County residential zones is regulated by local zoning codes. Most towns including Clarkstown, Ramapo, and Orangetown permit s...
Rockland County, NY
Rockland County towns require building permits for retaining walls over 4 feet per the NY Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. Clarkstown, Ramapo, and ...
Rockland County, NY
Rockland County pool barriers must comply with NY Uniform Code §326.4 and the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. Barriers must be 48 inches minimum wi...
Rockland County, NY
Rockland County allows hens in NYC but roosters are banned. Coops must meet health standards. Livestock prohibited in most residential zones. NYC Health Code...
Rockland County, NY
Beekeeping is regulated at the town level in Rockland County. Most towns permit hives on residential lots over a certain size (typically 10,000 sq ft) with s...
See how Rockland County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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