Urban Forestry
Request Service on a Public Tree
You can request tree care for public trees along streets, in tree lawns, parks, and vacant lots. You can also request a free tree planting on your tree lawn!
Note: You will need to create an account to request service.
Urban Forestry
The Division of Urban Forestry manages and cares for public trees along city streets, in public parks, and on other City-owned properties. Our team of knowledgeable forestry professionals inspects public trees and coordinates planting, pruning, removal, and stump grinding on city properties. The Division also issues permits for work on or near public trees and reviews development plans to ensure that tree preservation and planting requirements are met.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The City of Cleveland’s Urban Forestry Commission serves in an advisory capacity to assist the Mayor, Cleveland City Council, the Division of Urban Forestry, and the City Planning Commission in ensuring that the many benefits trees provide to citizens of the City are realized. The Urban Forestry Commission holds quarterly public meetings. Meetings dates are posted on the Urban Forestry Commission page, live-streamed on Sustainable Cleveland's YouTube page and broadcast to the TV20 Channel.
Urban Forestry plants trees as funding permits and wait times are unpredictable. Once your request gets funded, you will receive notice at least two weeks prior to planting.
Urban Forestry permits are required for any pruning/trimming, removal, planting, root pruning, and stump grinding of trees no City managed lands. Work which may adversely affect trees on city managed lands such as excavation in proximity to the trunk may also require a permit.
Permits are also issued for development projects in accordance with Cleveland Codified Ordinances.
To perform work on city managed trees a completed permit application must be submitted and approved. Often an inspection by a city forester will be required to determine if work is necessary. Some work requires the individual or organization who performs the work to be credentialed, licensed, and insured. Review the Terms and Conditions of the Permit Application for additional details.
- For tree lawn vegetation issues, contact the Bureau of Sidewalks.
- For other overgrown vegetation on city property, call 3-1-1 for an assessment by the Vacant Property team.
The City only prunes trees for right of way clearance and/or home clearance, it does not prune trees due to interference with electrical lines. The electrical providers are responsible for maintaining their lines. If the tree is growing into the wires and disrupting service contact the service provider responsible for the lines. This is most likely Cleveland Public Power or First Energy. We recommend you contact CPP first if the owner of the lines is unknown.
If a tree in front of your home needs to be pruned back from the street or your home, contact 311 or reach out to the Division of Urban Forestry at 216-664-3104 - Weekdays 8:00 am to 4:30 pm so we can create a service request for the work to be assessed.
- If the tree was removed recently: The contractor has 14 days to complete the removal, including stump grinding and restoration.
- If it has been over two weeks: Call the Division of Urban Forestry at 216-664-3104 - Weekdays 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Stumps are addressed in the order of the oldest work orders.
Submit a request through the 311 Portal or by calling the Division of Urban Forestry at 216-664-3104 - Weekdays 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Urban Forestry can check to see if an updated inspection has been performed. If not, a service request will be initiated, and the inspection will occur within 30-45 days.
If it is an emergency contact 311 so a dispatcher can relay your emergency to one of our on-call foresters. Emergencies include:
- Trees fallen on structures.
- Trees blocking private property or driveways.
- Trees causing damage to structures, e.g., branches knocking gutters.
A tree fallen on a structure, blocking private property or driveways, or causing damage to structures is considered an emergency. If it is a tree emergency contact 311 so a dispatcher can relay your emergency to one of our on-call foresters.
You can request a tree by calling in to 311 or to the Division of Urban Forestry Offices at 216-664-3104 - Weekdays 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 75 percent of the Earth’s flowering plants depend on bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other pollinators. Therefore, Urban Forestry does not exterminate bee nests.
Urban Forestry may remove stinging insect nests in trees if they can be reached from the ground. We do not put operators in lifts to spray nests because there is no safe way to retreat when the insects attack.
Before treating stinging insects such as yellow jackets, hornets and wasps, we consider the following:
- Is the treatment cost effective?
- Are there any risks? If so, are the risks acceptable?
- Are environmental impacts minimized?
- Are health risks for employees and others minimized