Irondequoit, NY Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Irondequoit, NY, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Woodlot district
- Five acres or more with trees six inches in diameter and greater
- Density test
- Average basal area of at least 30 square feet per acre, ten-factor prism
- Permit
- EPOD development permit from the Town Planning Board
- Smaller wooded lots
- One to under five acres, covered by § 235-54
- Timber harvest
- DEC advisory review plus forester management plan, bond required
- First offense
- Fine up to $350 or up to six months, § 235-102
Summary
In the Town of Irondequoit, New York, nobody clears or builds on land inside a mapped Woodlot Protection District without first obtaining an EPOD development permit, and cutting trees to manage a woodlot or harvest timber needs that permit too. The Town Planning Board decides each application under Town of Irondequoit Code § 235-53.
C. Regulated activities. ... No person shall conduct any of the following regulated activities within any Woodlot Protection District in the Town of Irondequoit unless such person has first applied for and obtained an EPOD development permit pursuant to the requirements of this article: (1) Clearing of or constructing on any land area within the district except for those activities exempted from the permit requirements of this article as indicated in § 235-45 of this chapter, as well as any watercourse maintenance activities. ... E. Other standards/conditions. (1) Any activity within a woodlot area involving the cutting of trees with the intent to manage the woodlot or harvest timber for commercial use shall be subject to an EPOD development permit.
Full Breakdown
The woodlot rule sits in the zoning chapter, not in the Town tree chapter. Under § 235-53, the Woodlot Protection District covers areas in the Town of Irondequoit of five acres or more that hold tree communities and trees six inches in diameter and greater, with an average basal area of at least 30 square feet per acre, measured with a ten-factor prism. A minimum of two nonoverlapping random samples is taken, and more than three samples for sites of 20 acres and larger. Smaller wooded parcels of one or more but less than five acres fall under § 235-54, Treed lots, which uses the same six-inch tree size and 30 square foot basal area and requires review and permit approval before a project starts.
Inside a Woodlot Protection District, clearing of or constructing on any land area needs an EPOD development permit unless the activity is exempted under § 235-45 or is watercourse maintenance. The Town Planning Board weighs public health, safety and welfare, and the applicant carries the burden of showing the work will in no way adversely affect soil stability, velocity of surface water runoff, existing drainage systems or the natural characteristics of a watercourse.
Cutting trees to manage a woodlot or harvest commercial timber is its own permit trigger. The application goes to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a review and advisory opinion and must carry a management plan from a qualified consulting forester or a forest management recommendation from a NYSDEC forester. Timber sale contracts require a bond to pay for remedial measures and must be recorded with the Town Clerk. Slopes exceeding 15% need additional protection, no skidding takes place during wet months, and along major travel corridors or the bay shoreline the applicant keeps a buffer strip with a basal area of 60 square feet of stems six inches in diameter at breast height and larger. No EPOD permit is granted where removing vegetation is likely to cause substantial erosion.
A tree standing in a Town right-of-way is a separate matter under Chapter 214 and needs approval from the Commissioner of Public Works.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the zoning chapter is an offense under § 235-102. A first conviction carries a fine not to exceed $350 or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both. A second offense within five years carries a fine of not less than $350 nor more than $700, and a third or subsequent offense within five years carries not less than $700 nor more than $1,000. Each week of continued violation is a separate violation, and under § 235-50 citizens of the Town can enforce the EPOD regulations as Town Law § 268 permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to cut a tree on my Irondequoit lot?
Who decides a woodlot permit in the Town of Irondequoit?
Must I remove a dead tree from my own property?
What does commercial timber cutting require in Irondequoit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irondequoit
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