Brooklyn Park, MN Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 97.35, Public Tree Planting and Maintenance
- Species control
- Official street tree list, no substitutions
- Removal approval
- City Tree Inspector permission required
- Who may plant
- City or adjacent owner, per Forestry Policy
Summary
In the City of Brooklyn Park, § 97.35 gives the city the right to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees in public rights-of-way and on public grounds, while letting adjacent owners plant their own street trees there if they follow the Public Works Department's Forestry Policy. Only species on the city's official street tree list may go in, and the City Tree Inspector must approve any removal.
(A) Public tree care. The city shall have the right to plant, prune, maintain, and remove trees, plants, and shrubs within the public right-of-ways and on public grounds as may be necessary to insure public safety or to preserve or enhance the symmetry and beauty of such right-of-ways and public grounds. This does not prohibit the planting of “street trees” by adjacent property owners providing that the planting and maintenance of said trees is in accordance with Public Works Department Forestry and Public Easement Maintenance Policies. ... (B) Street tree selection. The official street tree species authorized for the city shall be as indicated in the Public Works Department Forestry Policy. No other species may be planted as street trees without written permission from the City Tree Inspector. No street tree shall be removed without permission from the City Tree Inspector.
Full Breakdown
35, in Chapter 97's tree regulations, splits authority over parkway and boulevard trees between the city and adjacent property owners. Subsection (A) gives the city the right to plant, prune, maintain and remove trees, plants and shrubs within public rights-of-way and on public grounds whenever necessary for public safety or to preserve or enhance the area's symmetry and beauty, but it does not stop an adjacent owner from planting a street tree there, provided the planting and its upkeep follow the Public Works Department's Forestry and Public Easement Maintenance Policies.
Subsection (B) narrows what can go in: only species on the city's official street tree list, set by the Public Works Department Forestry Policy, are authorized, and no other species may be planted as a street tree without the City Tree Inspector's written permission. Removal is controlled the same way: no street tree can come out without the Tree Inspector's sign-off, whether the tree was planted by the city or by the abutting owner. 40's separate pruning and clearance rules for privately owned trees that overhang a street or sidewalk. 99 penalty.
Violations & Fines
Planting a street tree species not on the city's official list, or removing any street tree, public or owner-planted, without the City Tree Inspector's written permission, violates § 97.35 and is punishable under the general penalty at § 10.99: up to $1,000 and 90 days as a misdemeanor, or up to $300 as a petty misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant my own tree in the boulevard in Brooklyn Park?
What tree species can I plant as a street tree in Brooklyn Park?
Can I remove a boulevard tree in front of my Brooklyn Park house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brooklyn Park
Compare Brooklyn Park to another location·View the Minnesota tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle parkway planting.