Long Branch, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Long Branch, NJ, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Street tree threshold
- 2.5 inches DBH
- Non-street tree threshold
- 6 inches DBH
- Application fee
- $25 per removal
- Alternative fee
- $100/tree if no replanting space
- Fine
- $100-$1,000 per tree
- Adopted
- 7-10-2024, Ord. No. 16-24
Summary
Long Branch requires a Tree Removal Application before cutting down any street tree 2.5 inches DBH or larger, or any other tree 6 inches DBH or larger, under Code § 319-12, adopted in 2024. Removed trees generally must be replaced on a sliding scale tied to trunk size, or a fee paid instead.
Any person planning to remove a street tree, as defined as Tree removal, with DBH of 2.5" or more or any non-street tree with DBH of 6" or more on their property shall submit a Tree Removal Application to the Council of the City of Long Branch or its designee. No tree shall be removed until municipal officials have reviewed and approved the removal. ... Any person who removes one or more street tree(s) with a DBH of 2.5" or more, unless exempt under Section IV, shall be subject to the requirements of the Tree Replacement Requirements Table below.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4904719; v48 updated 2026-06-10; through 06-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
Article II of Chapter 319, added July 10, 2024 by Ord. No. 16-24, applies to any person, including residents and their contractors, who removes a regulated tree (§ 319-11). 5 feet (§ 319-11). 5 inches DBH or more, or any non-street tree of 6 inches DBH or more, the property owner must submit a Tree Removal Application to the City Council or its designee, and no removal may occur until municipal officials approve it (§ 319-12A). 5-inch caliper for a $25 fee, rising to four replacement trees for any tree 33 inches DBH or larger, also for a $25 fee (§ 319-12C).
If replacement trees cannot fit on the same property, the applicant must plant them elsewhere in the city or pay $100 per tree into a dedicated tree-planting fund instead (§ 319-12D). Exemptions cover residents removing fewer than four smaller trees per acre in a rolling five-year period, working tree farms and nurseries, approved forest-stewardship land, and hazard trees, which can be removed with no fee or replacement at all (§ 319-13).
Violations & Fines
Anyone who removes or otherwise destroys a regulated tree without approval faces a fine of $100 up to $1,000 per tree under § 319-15, and must also replace each unlawfully removed tree with one of like or superior species at their own expense, on top of the fine. The Long Branch Police Department enforces Article II during its normal duties (§ 319-14).
Frequently Asked Questions
What size tree needs a removal permit in Long Branch?
How many trees do I have to replant after cutting one down?
Are dead or hazardous trees exempt from Long Branch's removal rules?
What's the penalty for cutting down a protected tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Branch
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