Lakewood, NJ Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Township of Lakewood Code Chapter 19, Protection of Trees (Ord. No. 2 of UDO,' the Township's Unified Development Ordinance. Once a tree carries either designation, § 19-3b requires it to be maintained in a living condition and makes it unlawful to remove without an approved tree removal permit; critically, no specimen or historic tree may be removed unless the applicant has also obtained the approval of the Code Enforcement Officer, a heavier standard than the ordinary 10-inch-DBH removal permit. Before approving removal, the Code Enforcement Officer evaluates the tree's condition using the guides listed in § 19-3b: ISA's Evaluation of Hazard Trees in Urban Areas, the USDA Forest Service's Urban Tree Risk Management, and the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers' Guide for Plant Appraisal.

Section 19-5 further requires any tree removal application touching a specimen or historic tree to show those trees on the survey and flag them for retention wherever removal limits allow. The designation itself runs through a Township Committee resolution, not an administrative listing, so a property owner cannot self-designate or contest a designation outside that resolution process.