Downers Grove, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County land is regulated separately from county-government land. The District's General Use Regulation Ordinance, Chapter III, Section 2(1), makes it unlawful for any person to "possess, cut, remove, uproot, damage or destroy by any means or method, any sod, earth, tree, sapling, seedling, bush, shrub, flower, plant, or fungi" within Forest Preserves. The ordinance also separately prohibits damaging trees by chipping, blazing, boxing, girdling, or trimming without prior written permission from the Forest Preserve District Executive Director.

This means residents and contractors cannot trim or remove a tree located on Forest Preserve property, even one that overhangs a neighboring private parcel, without first obtaining permission from the District. Maintenance work along Forest Preserve trails and boundaries is performed by District staff and authorized contractors. For trees in the DuPage County DOT highway right-of-way, contact the Division of Transportation Highway Permitting Department at 630-407-6900 before any work, as a highway permit may be required for work that affects county roadway vegetation.