Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Chapter 97 of the Monroe Township Code defines a Specimen Tree in § 97-2 as any tree that reaches a specified diameter or circumference in inches at 4.5 feet above ground level on the uphill side, any tree the Township Council designates as a historic tree or landmark tree, and any other tree or species named in the Monroe Township Tree Planting Standards and Specifications, Specimen Tree List and Recommended Plantings on file in the Township Clerk's office. The chapter text prints no diameter figure, so the Clerk's list is where a homeowner or developer confirms whether a particular tree qualifies.

The core protection sits in § 97-5. Every applicant for a tree removal permit from the Conservation Officer must show each Specimen Tree on the Tree Removal and Replacement Plan. That duty survives even where a representative 5% sampling replaces a full inventory on a heavily wooded site or a clearing greater than three acres: the code says all Specimen Trees shall be indicated on the plan. The applicant must make all reasonable efforts to preserve them, including relocating infrastructure, roadways and buildings if feasible. Removal then requires the Conservation Officer's specific written recommendation and approval of the Township Council. § 97-8 C(2) repeats the rule in different words: no Specimen Tree shall be removed unless the Conservation Officer has obtained the approval of the Township Council.

The exemptions that spare ordinary trees stop short of Specimen Trees. Trees growing on a nursery, garden center or orchard, trees removed under a DEP-approved management plan, and trees cleared on a working farm are exempt under § 97-5 D, but the section opens by excepting Specimen Trees. The no-replacement criteria in § 97-8 C(1) and the four-or-fewer-per-acre residential rule in § 97-8 A(1) likewise carve out Specimen Trees. The ordinary permit mechanics still apply around them: fees come from Chapter 39 of the Township Code (§ 97-5 E), and a permit lasts one year from issuance (§ 97-5 F).