Tree removal permit rules in Flint, MI — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Tree removal in the City of Flint is governed by Chapter 45 (Trees and Shrubs) of the Flint Code of Ordinances. Removal of any tree on a street, in a park, or in the public right-of-way requires a permit from the Forestry Division within the Department of Parks and Recreation - the City Forester (per Section 45-5) and the Recreation and Park Board hold permitting authority. Section 45-11.1 separately authorizes the Forestry Supervisor to direct immediate-hazard removals. Routine removal of a wholly private dead, diseased, or hazardous tree generally does not require a City permit.
Tree removal in the City of Flint is regulated through Chapter 45 of the Flint Code of Ordinances (https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/flint/latest/flint_mi/0-0-0-12957). Section 45-5 establishes the authority and duties of the Recreation and Park Board and the City Forester, who oversee all trees and shrubs on streets, in parks, and in the public right-of-way. No person may plant, prune, remove, or otherwise disturb a public tree without a Forestry Division permit. Section 45-11.1 (https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/flint/latest/flint_mi/0-0-0-13030) authorizes the Forestry Division to remove trees, limbs, and shrubs that constitute an immediate hazard, with the Forestry Supervisor determining hazard status. Routine removal of a single dead, diseased, or hazardous tree on private property outside the public right-of-way does not require a City permit, but the homeowner remains liable for any damage to sidewalks, curbs, or street infrastructure caused by the work. Tree removal in connection with land development triggers Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control review under Part 91 of NREPA (MCL 324.9101-324.9123, https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/water-resources/soil-erosion) when earth change disturbs more than 1 acre or occurs within 500 feet of a lake or stream - the Genesee County Drain Commissioner administers Part 91 locally. Federal NPDES Construction General Permit requirements may also apply. The Genesee Conservation District (https://www.geneseecd.org/trees) partners with the City on dead-tree removal, with a Mott Foundation grant supporting more than 350 hazardous street-tree removals. Trees within Genesee County Parks fall under the County Parks and Recreation Commission rather than Chapter 45.
Removing a Flint street tree, park tree, or right-of-way tree without a Forestry Division permit under Chapter 45 is a code violation. Standard Chapter 1 general penalty provisions apply (typically up to $500 per violation), plus restitution for the appraised value of the tree using ISA tree-appraisal methodology (often several thousand dollars per mature specimen). Earth change exceeding 1 acre without a Part 91 Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control permit (MCL 324.9101+) is subject to EGLE and Genesee County Drain Commissioner enforcement separate from Chapter 45. Willful destruction of another person's tree triggers Michigan's timber-trespass treble-damages remedy under MCL 600.2919.
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