Essex County, NJ Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Essex County, 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
- Governing section
- § 74-22.A, County Code
- Applies to
- All Essex County park property
- Max penalty
- $5,000 fine or 90 days jail
- Enforced by
- Parks Director, County Sheriff's officers
Summary
Essex County bans damaging, cutting, transplanting or removing any tree or plant across its county park system, including picking flowers or seeds and attaching ropes or wires to trees.
No person shall damage, cut, carve, transplant or remove any tree or plant or injure the bark, or pick the flowers or seeds, of any tree or plant, nor shall any person attach any rope, wire or other contrivance to any tree or plant. No person shall dig in or otherwise disturb grass or other vegetation or in any other way injure or impair the natural beauty or usefulness of any area.
B. Disfiguration and removal of property. No person in a County park or property shall willfully mark, deface, disfigure, injure, tamper with, or displace or remove any buildings, bridges, tables, benches, fireplaces, railings, paving or paving material; water lines or other public utilities or parts or appurtenances thereof; signs, notices or placards, whether temporary or permanent; monuments, stakes, posts or other boundary markers; or other structures or equipment, facilities or other County property or appurtenances, whether real or personal.
C. Erection of structures. No person shall construct or erect any building or structure of any kind, whether permanent or temporary in character, or run or string any public service utility into, upon or across such lands, except on special written permit issued by the Director.
D.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4440876; v14 updated 2025-08-13; through 08-13-2025).
Full Breakdown
The county's park code flatly prohibits injuring or removing vegetation on any of Essex County's parks, reservations and open space properties: the nation's first county park system, established in 1895. Section 74-22.A bars cutting, carving, transplanting or removing any tree or plant, injuring bark, picking flowers or seeds, or attaching ropes, wires or other devices to trees. It also forbids digging in or otherwise disturbing grass or vegetation that impairs the natural beauty or usefulness of a park area. The rule applies system-wide, from South Mountain Reservation to Branch Brook Park, regardless of which of the 22 municipalities the parkland sits in.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Chapter 74 park rule not otherwise specified carries up to a $5,000 fine, 90 days in county jail, or 90 days of community service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim a tree branch in an Essex County park?
Does this rule apply to all Essex County parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Essex County
Compare Essex County to another location·View the New Jersey landscaping rules overview
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