Tree removal permit rules in Onondaga County, NY — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
No countywide tree removal permit required. Street tree removal in Syracuse requires Parks Department approval. Some towns regulate removal within buffer zones or steep slope overlays.
New York has no statewide tree removal permit law; regulation is entirely municipal. Onondaga County itself does not regulate private tree removal, but Syracuse, as a Tree City USA community, requires a permit from the Department of Parks, Recreation & Youth Programs to remove, prune, or injure any street tree (trees within the public right-of-way). The Syracuse Tree Advisory Board reviews planting and removal. In suburban towns, tree removal is generally unregulated on private property unless the parcel is within a steep slope overlay (common near the drumlins of DeWitt, Manlius, Pompey), a DEC-regulated freshwater wetland buffer (100 feet), or a state-regulated stream corridor. Tree removal on slopes over 15% often triggers erosion control requirements under the town's stormwater local law.
Syracuse street tree violations: fines up to $500 per tree plus replacement cost. DEC wetland buffer violations: up to $10,000/day civil penalty. Town overlay district violations: stop-work orders and fines per zoning code.
Onondaga County, NY
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Onondaga County, NY
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Onondaga County, NY
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Onondaga County, NY
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See how Onondaga County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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