Trimming trees on your own Somerset County lot needs no permit. But street trees and any tree in a public highway, park, or parkway fall under the municipal shade tree commission's full and exclusive control under N.J.S.A. 40:64-5.
Across Somerset County, pruning a tree that stands on your private property is unregulated by the state. The firm rule is N.J.S.A. 40:64-5, which gives a municipal shade tree commission full and exclusive control over the planting, trimming, and care of shade and ornamental trees in any public highway, park, or parkway. Towns such as Bridgewater, Bernards, and Somerville run shade tree commissions, so trimming a tree in the right-of-way strip between the sidewalk and curb requires the commission's approval, even where the abutting owner maintains that strip. Utility-line clearance is coordinated between the commission and the utility, not handled by residents.
Trimming or cutting a public shade tree without the shade tree commission's consent violates N.J.S.A. 40:64-5 and the town's tree ordinance, exposing the person to replacement costs and penalties set by the municipality. Private-yard pruning carries no state penalty.
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