Chicopee, MA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Section 257-3 of the Code of the City of Chicopee defines the terms that decide which trees fall under Chapter 257. A PROTECTED TREE is any tree which has been determined by the Tree Warden to be of high value because of its type, size, age or other professional criteria and which has been so designated. The designation therefore turns on a determination and a formal designation by the Tree Warden, not on a diameter alone.

The baseline definition of TREE is any self-supporting woody perennial plant with a trunk diameter of 2 inches or greater measured at a point 6 inches above the ground level and which normally obtains a height of at least 10 feet at maturity. The definition then adds that certain species (defined by the City) may also be protected regardless of the size, so a species designated by the City is covered even when the plant falls below the 2 inch trunk measurement. The section points to species defined by the City rather than printing a species list.

The Tree Warden is defined as the agent of the City having primary enforcement responsibilities under Chapter 257 and MGL c. 87, and charged with the responsibility for approvals required pursuant to the chapter.

The practical effect of the designation appears in § 257-7A, which governs removal of healthy public shade trees: any tree that is designated a protected tree will not be removed under the petition and replacement process. The replacement schedule of 1 tree or 2 trees that applies to ordinary healthy trees does not open a route to removing a protected one.

The chapter's stated purposes explain the reach. Section 257-1A lists protecting the watercourses and ecology, providing a healthy living environment, and better maintaining control of flooding, noise, glare and soil erosion, and § 257-2B finds that protection is necessary for every tree in the City. Under § 257-4 the chapter applies to any activity on City property and any activity that requires a street occupancy permit.