Woodbury, MN Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

For an existing private home, Woodbury does not advertise a permit to remove trees on the lot; the Forestry Division's published materials address city-owned trees, boulevard trees and disease (notably emerald ash borer) rather than regulating routine private removal. Tree-protection obligations in Woodbury show up chiefly at the development and subdivision stage, where landscaping and tree-preservation standards are part of zoning and site review for new construction - so a builder or developer faces tree-preservation and replacement expectations that an individual homeowner removing a backyard tree generally does not. Boulevard and right-of-way trees are handled separately: the city maintains boulevard trees in the Woodbury Heights, Park Hills and Royal Oaks subdivisions, and residents are specifically warned not to remove or treat ash trees in the public right-of-way near the street without contacting Public Works (651-714-3720), because those may be city trees. For ash specifically, the city's Private Ash Tree Removal Assessment Program offers special-assessment financing for removal. Because Washington County is under a Minnesota Department of Agriculture EAB quarantine, residents may not move ash logs, branches or firewood out of the area. Homeowners with questions should contact the city's Parks & Forestry staff before removing any tree near a street or in a platted easement.