Massachusetts protects all trees within public ways as public shade trees, requiring tree warden hearing and posted notice before removal statewide.
G.L. c. 87 establishes that all trees within a public way or on the boundaries are public shade trees under the control of the local tree warden. No public shade tree larger than one and one-half inches in diameter at breast height may be cut, trimmed, or removed without written permission from the tree warden after a public hearing held under c. 87 Section 3. Notice must be posted on the tree at least seven days in advance, and the warden may impose conditions including replacement.
Unauthorized cutting of a public shade tree is punishable by fines up to $500 per tree and treble damages under G.L. c. 242 Section 7.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Somerville, MA
Somerville restricts amplified music through its noise ordinance and entertainment licensing, with plainly-audible standards at property lines and stricter c...
Somerville, MA
Somerville limits construction noise to daytime and early-evening weekday hours with shorter Saturday windows and a full Sunday and holiday prohibition, refl...
Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Somerville requires a building permit for most fence installations, with historic districts adding a Historic Preservation Commission review step for visible...
See how Somerville's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
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