Oyster Bay, NY Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

5 feet above grade, anywhere in the Town outside its incorporated villages, unless the work falls under the narrow by-right exceptions in § 225-4 for dead, diseased, or emergency-hazard trees. Applications go to the Department of Parks, or the applicable site-plan or special-permit board, with a $5-per-inch DBH fee, capped at $75 per tree and a $50 minimum per application, filed at least 10 workdays before removal. In deciding whether to grant, deny, or condition the permit, § 225-6A directs the approval authority to weigh eight factors, the second of which is whether the tree being removed is listed on the New York State Rare Plant List as endangered or threatened.

Other factors include the need for removal, available alternatives, the tree's condition, and its impact on drainage, erosion, and buffer screening. The authority can require replacement planting from the approved species lists in § 225-6D and E, a compliance bond, and can revoke the permit with a stop-work order for noncompliance. Permits run six months and can be renewed for a $150 fee. A denial or contested condition can be appealed to the five-member Tree Management Commission within 30 days of the determination.