Cumberland County, ME Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

Public right-of-way trees in Cumberland County fall under three management regimes, none of them county: (1) MUNICIPAL RIGHT-OF-WAY — every Cumberland County city and town owns the trees in its local street right-of-way under the home-rule authority of 30-A MRS §3001 and the public ways statute (23 MRS §3651 et seq.). Planting, pruning, and removal are handled by municipal Public Works or, in larger cities, by a designated Tree Warden as authorized by 30-A MRS §2701 (towns may appoint a tree warden by ordinance). Portland operates a Parks, Recreation & Facilities forestry crew; South Portland, Westbrook, and Brunswick have similar forestry or grounds crews. (2) MAINE DOT STATE HIGHWAY ROW — trees within the right-of-way of I-95, I-295, US-1, US-302, Route 100, Route 25, Route 26, and other state and state-aid highways are managed by Maine DOT under 23 MRS §1851 (state highway encroachment) and 23 MRS §1801. A driveway-entrance or vegetation-management permit from Maine DOT is required before any planting or cutting in the state ROW. (3) UTILITY EASEMENTS — Central Maine Power and similar utilities have statutory and easement-based authority to prune vegetation around distribution and transmission lines under their MPUC tariffs and 35-A MRS §2503. Cumberland County itself owns no street tree inventory, operates no Arbor Day program, and issues no street-tree planting permits — these services are entirely municipal. Property owners who wish to plant a tree in the strip between sidewalk and street ('parkway,' 'tree lawn,' or 'tree belt') must apply to their town for a planting permit; species selection in most Cumberland County cities is restricted to a Public Works approved street-tree list (oak, linden, honey locust, native maples) with mature-height limits below the utility line. Cumberland County and the City of Portland are participants in the Maine Project Canopy program administered by the Maine Forest Service, which provides technical assistance and grants — but the grants flow to municipalities, not the county.