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

Erie's tree-protection framework relies on uniform protection of all street and municipal trees through Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee) rather than a separately curated heritage-tree registry. The City Arborist, working with the Urban Forest Committee, oversees all trees and shrubs on streets and municipal property under the rule that 'no person shall plant, maintain, remove or disturb any tree or shrub on any street or municipal owned property without filing an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist.' Notable mature-tree resources within Erie include Frontier Park, Glenwood Park, Perry Square, and the broader Erie park system, all of which fall under Article 165's protection. Presque Isle State Park, although surrounded by Erie, is managed by PA DCNR under separate state forestry standards rather than Erie's Article 165. Trees on private property that have been designated as 'specimen' or 'tree to be saved' in an approved land-development plan are enforceable through the Erie Zoning Ordinance (https://ecode360.com/ER3969) — once recorded on the plan, those trees cannot be removed without plan amendment. Voluntary protection options for private homeowners include conservation easements through the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy or local land trusts, which create enforceable restrictions surviving sale. Erie is a recognized Tree City USA community, and the Pennsylvania PA DCNR Community Forestry program (https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/ForestsAndTrees/CommunityForests/) provides technical assistance and Tree City USA standards.