Lancaster County, PA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Lancaster County, PA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- County tree permit
- None: municipal (Shade Tree Act)
- Distinctive county role
- Farmland preservation
- Governing law
- Ag Area Security Law, 3 P.S. §901
- Ag security area
- 250+ acres, landowner-proposed
- Program rank
- Largest farm preservation in US
Summary
Tree-removal permits are municipal, not county-level (street trees need a permit under the PA Shade Tree Act). Lancaster County's distinctive land-protection authority is farmland preservation: it runs the nation's largest program under PA's Agricultural Area Security Law, permanently conserving productive farmland.
It is the declared policy of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect and to encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Lancaster County issues no tree-removal permits; those come from your municipality's shade-tree authority under the PA Shade Tree Act (53 P.S. §2811 et seq.), and right-of-way tree work requires a municipal permit (e.g., City of Lancaster Ch. 273; Manheim Township allows removing only declining or decayed right-of-way trees). Where the COUNTY genuinely acts on land protection is farmland preservation. Through its Agricultural Preserve Board, Lancaster County runs the nation's largest agricultural conservation-easement program under Pennsylvania's Agricultural Area Security Law (Act 43 of 1981, 3 P.S. §901 et seq.).
Violations & Fines
Municipal tree permits: fines and replacement/restoration for unpermitted right-of-way removals. Farmland easements are perpetual deed restrictions enforced by the county Ag Preserve Board and state; breaching a preserved-farm easement is a civil matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lancaster County issue tree-removal permits?
What is Lancaster County's farmland preservation program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster County
Compare Lancaster County to another location·View the Pennsylvania landscaping rules overview
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