Newport News, VA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

3, Vegetation, is Newport News's general permit rule for anyone, not just utility companies, who wants to prune, spray, remove, destroy, cut, girdle or deface a tree, shrub, landscape planting or other vegetation on city property, or injure it by root cutting, root exposure or applying a chemical around its base. The permit ordinarily comes from the director of parks and recreation, but the section splits that authority for work inside a city right-of-way: there, the department of engineering issues the permit, after review and recommendation by the director.

The same split applies to the companion protection in subsection (b), which bars removing or damaging any device the city has placed to protect a tree, shrub or other planting, again on a director's permit for city property generally and an engineering department permit inside the right-of-way. Subsection (c) carves out one narrow exemption: cutting or trimming grass, not trees or shrubs, on a city right-of-way by the owner of the adjacent property does not need a permit under this section. 3-1 explains why the rule exists at all: the city council found that damage to city trees, shrubs, landscape plants and vegetation on city property and rights-of-way affects public health, safety and welfare.

3-2 defines 'director' as the director of parks and recreation or a designee and excludes on-duty city employees and people working under the city's lawful authority from the definition of 'person' the section regulates, so city crews doing authorized removal work are not the ones who need the permit.