Trees along city streets, in public parks, or on other city-owned property (such as schools, libraries, recreation centers, etc.) are the responsibility of the Providence Forestry Division to prune (and remove, if necessary). Except for certified Providence Community Tree Keepers, residents aren’t permitted to perform any work on these public trees. Unauthorized tree pruning or removal may result in a fine from the city. See below for more information on how to request service on a public tree! (To find out about street tree planting, see our PLANTING TREES page)
City Street Tree Service Requests:
To request tree pruning or other services for a street tree in front of your home or business (or for a tree on other public property), visit PVD 311 or call the Providence Forestry Division at (401) 680-7254.
If you would like to hire a private tree care company to prune a street tree, you must first request a free permit before they perform any work, including pruning, removal, digging or trenching. The tree care company you hire must have someone on staff with a current RI Arborist License. Fines will be assessed if city trees are damaged or removed without prior permission.
- For emergency tree requests — for instance for a public tree that has come down in a storm — call the Forestry Division at (401) 680-7254. If you are unable to get through, or you are calling outside of business hours, please report any emergency trees down to the police.
Block Pruning:
Beginning in 2016, the Providence Forestry Division has instituted a citywide Block Pruning program, so that all street trees can be systematically pruned. This is a much more efficient maintenance system than relying solely on constituent pruning requests (they do continue to accept individual tree service requests by visiting PVD 311 or calling the Providence Forestry Division at (401) 680-7254).
The Block Pruning program prunes city trees on a 10-year cycle, working on roughly 10% of the trees each year (about 2,500 trees). The program is funded through the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust Fund of the Rhode Island Foundation.
View the City Ward Map to see what year the trees on your block will be pruned.
For questions about Block Pruning, please contact the Forestry Division at (401) 680-7254.