New Britain, CT Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Chapter 17, Article VI, the 2018 tree ordinance enacted by Resolution No. 34196-2 on July 4, 2018, created New Britain's legacy tree program at § 17-88. The tree warden, who by § 17-86 is the Board of Public Works, must establish the program and keep a catalog of legacy trees across the city. Nomination is a public process: residents are encouraged to provide input to the board of public works annually about which trees should be included in the catalog, so a resident who believes a mature tree on Walnut Hill or Broad Street deserves protection can flag it for that annual review rather than petition the tree warden directly.

Once a tree is designated, the tree warden keeps a formal record, and if the tree sits on private property the owner must be notified by regular mail, giving the property owner formal notice that a tree on their land now carries legacy status. That designation has teeth: § 17-91 requires the tree warden's approval before any legacy tree can be removed, with a right to appeal the tree warden's decision to the director of public works within five business days of a notice of potential violation.

If a legacy tree on public property is removed without that prior approval, § 17-93(d) requires the offending party to pay the city two times the tree's assessed value as determined by the tree warden. The program sits alongside the broader tree inventory the tree warden must complete within 180 days of the 2018 ordinance for street trees and large-diameter trees on city property.