Showing ordinances that apply to Harrisville, RI
Harrisville is an unincorporated community (population 1,745) in Providence County, Rhode Island. Because Harrisville is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Providence County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The heritage & protected trees rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Rhode Island has no statewide heritage tree statute, but Providence and Cranston maintain Notable Tree inventories through their tree wardens under RIGL §2-14. Historic district trees in Benefit Street, College Hill, and similar areas receive protection via Historic District Commission review.
Rhode Island does not have a dedicated heritage tree statute, but Providence County trees receive enhanced protection through multiple overlapping frameworks. Providence maintains a Notable Trees inventory through the City Forester, including champion American elms that survived Dutch elm disease, historic specimens at Swan Point Cemetery and Roger Williams Park, and trees associated with the original Providence plantation. Cranston, Warwick, and other towns operate under RIGL §2-14 (Shade Tree) programs with tree wardens empowered to protect significant public trees. Historic District Commissions (Providence HDC, College Hill, Benefit Street, Armory; Pawtucket's Quality Hill; Smithfield's Greenville Historic District) can review proposed removal of significant trees within district boundaries when trees contribute to the streetscape. The Rhode Island Tree Council (RI Tree Council) runs a Champion Trees program identifying the largest specimens by species. Removal of protected or notable trees requires tree warden or HDC approval. RIGL §2-14-2 makes willful damage to shade trees in the public way a serious violation.
Unauthorized damage to protected street or notable tree: $1,000-$10,000 plus replacement at appraised value (ISA Trunk Formula — mature specimens exceed $25,000). RIGL §2-14-5 criminal penalties possible. Historic district violations: additional HDC fines and remediation.
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