Bethlehem, PA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Bethlehem's tree-protection framework relies on uniform protection of all public-area trees through Article 910 (Trees) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem rather than a separately curated heritage-tree registry. The Bureau of Urban Forestry within the Department of Public Works, under the City Forester, oversees all trees in 'public areas' as defined at 910.01(b) — all parks, streets, and planting areas between streets and property lines. Article 910.04(a) provides that 'no person shall hereafter plant, move, spray, cut, remove, prune, fertilize, inject, climb with spikes or with the assistance of rope ... or alter any tree on any public area of the City of Bethlehem' without a permit from the Director of Public Works. Notable mature-tree resources within Bethlehem include Sand Island, Monocacy Park, the Rose Garden (Union Boulevard), Illick's Mill, Saucon Park, and the Lehigh University campus arboretum, all of which fall under Article 910's protection for trees on public/municipal property. The Bureau of Urban Forestry publishes an approved street-tree list (https://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/CityOfBethlehem/media/PWMedia/Urban%20Forestry/COBTreeList.pdf) and the City has held continuous Tree City USA designation for over 30 years under the Arbor Day Foundation/USDA Forest Service/National Association of State Foresters program. Trees on private property may be designated as 'tree to be saved' on an approved land-development plan reviewed by the Bureau of Urban Forestry under the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, making removal of those specimens contingent on plan amendment. Voluntary protection options include conservation easements through the Wildlands Conservancy and other regional land trusts.