Somerset County towns now require tree-removal permits. NJDEP's MS4 stormwater mandate forced every municipality to adopt a tree-removal-and-replacement ordinance, and street trees are separately controlled by the shade tree commission under N.J.S.A. 40:64-5.
There is no county tree-removal permit, but nearly every Somerset County municipality now issues one. NJDEP's 2020 stormwater rules require all New Jersey towns holding an MS4 stormwater permit to adopt and enforce a community-wide tree-removal-and-replacement ordinance, most having done so by 2024. Bernards Township's ordinance is typical: no one may remove a street tree of 2.5-inch diameter or a non-street tree of 6-inch diameter without first obtaining a permit, with exemptions for hazard trees. Separately, N.J.S.A. 40:64-5 gives municipal shade tree commissions exclusive control over trees in public highways, parks, and parkways, so those need commission approval regardless.
Removing a regulated tree without the municipal permit brings a stop-work order, mandatory replacement plantings, and fines set by the town ordinance. Cutting a public shade tree without commission consent violates N.J.S.A. 40:64-5.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Somerset County, NJ
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See how Somerset County's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
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