In accordance with State law, the Borough now requires a permit to remove a tree from private property if it is six inches or more in diameter. Permit fees are based on the size of the tree, except that for trees documented as “hazardous” there is no fee.
There is also a requirement to plant replacement tree(s), with the size and number of such trees determined by the size of the tree(s) removed. There are two exceptions to the re-planting requirement: a) no planting is required for removal of a hazardous tree; and b) up to four (non-hazardous) tree per acre may be removed every five years with no replanting requirement.
See the Borough Code and/or the Tree Removal Permit Application for more details. Permit applications are to be submitted to the Building Department.
All trimming and/or removal of all Borough trees (i.e., shade trees in the public right of way, as opposed to trees on private property) is under the jurisdiction of the Hawthorne Shade Tree Commission (HSTC).