East Orange, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

East Orange City Code § 51-193O(2), in the Prohibited Activities subsection of the Landscaping article, forbids any person from cutting, pruning, breaking, climbing, injuring or removing a shade tree standing in a public street, from cutting, disturbing or interfering with its roots or bark, from spraying it with any chemical or insecticide, from placing a rope, sign, poster or other fixture on it or its guard, or from injuring, misusing or removing a device installed to protect it, though the code carves out a governmental agency's right to tie a public notice to a tree while administering official business.

Subsection O(1) backs the removal ban with a companion rule against obstructing a shade tree's roots with cement, stone or flagging poured within four feet of the trunk, and Subsection O(3) separately bars willfully, carelessly or negligently damaging or destroying a shade tree. Where removal is requested for a private benefit rather than a public one, Subsection N(5) requires the Department of Public Works to bill the requesting party for the full cost of removal or transplanting, based on the tree's size and condition, with a deposit due before work starts.

Any authorized removal of a shade tree on public property is carried out only by the Public Works Department's Shade Tree Division or its designated agent under Subsections M(2) and N(3).