Require Certified Arborists to Remove City-Owned Trees
In committee as of Jun 16, 2026Under review by an assigned committee.
✦ Plain-Language Summary
This law would require that only licensed, certified arborists be allowed to remove city-owned trees, and anyone else doing so would be breaking the law. The Department of Parks and Recreation would also need to publish a yearly report tracking which trees were removed, whether they were replaced, and whether anyone was held accountable for illegal removals. This helps protect NYC's urban tree canopy and ensures removals are done safely and transparently.
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Details
- Introduced
- Feb 12, 2026
- Body
- Committee on Parks and Recreation
- Type
- Introduction
- Status
- Laid Over in Committee
Official Description
This bill would specify that the Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) may only issue a permit to remove a city-owned tree if the permit application provides the name of the certified arborist who will remove the tree. It would also specify that it is unlawful for anyone other than the certified arborist to conduct the tree removal. Finally, Parks would be required to report annually on city-owned trees removed in the previous year, including the location of removed trees, whether Parks has replaced removed trees, whether permitted removals were supervised by Parks employees, and, for illegal removals, whether anyone has been held liable.