Providence Tree Ordinance
In 1985, the City of Providence passed its first ever Tree Ordinance (Section 23.5 – read it HERE) with the purpose of protecting & caring for our city’s public trees. This ordinance created the City Forester position, and established a protocol for maintaining our Urban Forest as valuable public infrastructure. There is also a General Zoning Ordinance on landscaping & trees, which includes rules and requirements trees related to the development of private properties. (Article 15 – read it HERE.)
Significant Trees
Large shade trees are precious resources. A large tree offers exponentially greater environmental benefits than a small or newly planted tree due to the large amount of foliage. Trees require many decades to reach a mature size, and so there is no way to quickly or easily replace the tremendous value provided by our largest, oldest trees. Preserving and protecting mature trees is a top priority, and serves to benefit public health & our environment.
In 2004, the City passed a regulation in its Zoning Ordinance (Article 1503 B – “Significant Tree Preservation”) that protects trees 32 inches in diameter or greater (measured 4.5 feet above the ground), regardless of location (the ordinance is applicable to trees on both public and private land). No “Significant Tree” shall be removed without prior permission of the City Forester. Any person wishing to remove a Significant Tree shall file a request to do so with the City Forester. The request must meet certain criteria in order to receive approval, most notably that the tree poses a danger to human safety, health, and welfare.
Spread the word about this key way that we protect trees Providence! If you see a very large tree being taken down on private property, contact the City Forester right away at (401) 680-7254.