Tree removal permit rules in Hampshire County, MA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
In Hampshire County you may generally remove a tree on your own land without a permit, since Massachusetts does not regulate private-property trees and the county has no government. A tree within the public way is a public shade tree under MGL c.87 and needs the tree warden's approval.
Massachusetts law splits tree removal by where the tree stands. On private property the state imposes no permit requirement, so a Hampshire County homeowner in Northampton, Amherst, or Belchertown may usually take down their own trees, subject only to any wetlands or slope rules if the work sits in a protected resource area. A tree within a public way is a public shade tree under MGL c.87 §1, and §3 bars its removal without the municipal tree warden's written permit and a public hearing. Work near a wetland, stream, or the Connecticut River may separately require a local conservation commission order under the Wetlands Protection Act.
Removing a public shade tree without the tree warden's permit and hearing violates MGL c.87 and exposes the person to fines and the tree's appraised value. Clearing near a wetland without a conservation commission order can trigger separate enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Hampshire County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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