New Bedford, MA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in New Bedford, MA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Design standard
- Minimize removal of trees 6-in. caliper+
- Applies to
- Projects meeting Site Plan Review thresholds
- Public shade trees
- Controlled by tree warden (Commissioner)
- Standalone private-tree permit
- None in this code
- Approval authority
- Planning Board or Administrative Review
Summary
New Bedford has no stand-alone tree-cutting permit for private land, but any project large enough to require Site Plan Review must be designed to minimize removal of trees six inches in caliper or larger, while the Commissioner of Public Infrastructure separately controls all public shade trees as tree warden.
5471. Meet the following minimum design requirements:i.Minimize the volume of cut and fill, the number of removed trees six-inch caliper or larger, the length of removed stone walls, the area of wetland vegetation displaced, the extent of stormwater flow increase from the site, soil erosion, and the threat of air and water pollution; ... Sec. 2-231(i): The commissioner of public infrastructure shall perform the duties of tree warden and forester and have the care and control of all public shade trees and the planting, trimming and cutting thereof except so far as is otherwise required by statute.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19).
Full Breakdown
Section 5471(i), one of the minimum design requirements the Site Plan Review Authority applies under Section 5470, directs new construction to minimize 'the volume of cut and fill, the number of removed trees six-inch caliper or larger, the length of removed stone walls, the area of wetland vegetation displaced' and related erosion impacts. This standard only reaches projects that already meet a Site Plan Review threshold under Section 5420, generally 2,000 square feet or more of new commercial space or four or more residential units; it is a discretionary minimization goal weighed by the Planning Board or Administrative Review Authority, not a numeric per-tree cap or standalone removal permit for private landowners.
Separately, Section 2-231(i) of the Code of Ordinances makes the Commissioner of Public Infrastructure responsible for performing 'the duties of tree warden and forester' with 'care and control of all public shade trees and the planting, trimming and cutting thereof except so far as is otherwise required by statute,' covering only trees on public property, not privately owned trees.
Violations & Fines
A site plan that fails to minimize tree removal as required by Section 5471(i) can be denied or conditioned by the Site Plan Review Authority under Section 5470, and under Section 5450 no building permit issues without that approval. Removing or altering a public shade tree without the tree warden's authorization under Section 2-231(i) falls outside any private party's authority under the Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree on my property in New Bedford?
Who controls the trees along New Bedford streets?
Does the New Bedford tree-removal design standard apply to a small home addition?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Bedford
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bristol County handle tree removal & heritage trees.