Mount Laurel Township recently adopted an ordinance regulating the removal and replacement of trees located on private property. Chapter 144 of Mount Laurel Township’s Code addresses trees. Here is what Mount Laurel requires to remove a tree:
Tree Removal Application Process
- Any person planning actions that include or may result in tree removal of a tree with a DBH of six inches or greater, or any size street tree, shall submit a Tree removal Permit Application to the Township on a completed form.
- Mount Laurel will review and approve or deny the application within twenty (20) business days of the date of receipt.
Fees
Mount Laurel has a variable application fee based on the size of the tree to be removed. Below is a table of Mount Laurel’s Tree Removal Permit fees:
| Category | Size of Tree to be Removed, in Inches DBH | Additional Application Fee, Cumulative per tree |
| 1 | 6 to 12.99 DBH and street tree 2.5 to 12.99 DBH | $300.00 |
| 2 | 13 to 22.00 DBH | $1,000.00 |
| 3 | 23 to 32.99 DBH | $1,500.00 |
| 4 | 33 or greater | $2,000.00 |
Tree Replacement Requirements
- Any person who removes one or more street tree(s) with a DBH of 2.5 inches or more, or who removes one or more trees six inches or greater DBH, unless exempt, shall be subject to the requirements of the Tree Replacement Requirements Table below.
- The species and type of replacement trees shall not be of a species, type, cultivar, or selection, known to be invasive, pursuant to the ” Prohibited Replacement Tree List,” adopted by Mount Laurel Township, or the findings and official publication of a State of New Jersey agency.
- Replacement trees shall be planted on the same property as the trees removed or at another location agreed upon by the Township and shall be subject to post-planting observation by the Township to confirm compliance.
- Replacement trees shall be planted, during an appropriate season and weather conditions, within twelve ( 12) months of the date of tree removal of the original tree(s) or at an alternative date agreed upon by the Township.
- Replacement trees planted on private property shall be maintained and monitored by the permittee for a period of two (2) years from the planting date. Any tree that does not survive for that two (2) year period, or that upon observation by the Township has been determined to have been planted improperly, shall be replaced consistent with the replacement requirements.
- Replacement trees shall not be planted in temporary containers and shall be planted in soil in a manner that will support tree health and survival.
- Replacement trees shall not be planted in planting strips or tree lawns that measure less than sixteen square feet in surface area, or less than three feet and six inches in any dimension.
- Replacement trees planted within six feet of a paved sidewalk, path, or plaza, shall include the installation of a tree root barrier at least 12 inches in depth for a length of six feet, centered upon the trunk of the tree, along the edge of the paved walk, path, or plaza.
Tree Replacement Requirements Table
| Category | Tree Removed (DBH) | Required Action |
| 1 | DBH of 2.5 inches (for street trees) or 6 inches (for other trees) to 12.99 inches | Replant 1 tree with a minimum tree caliper of 1.5 for each tree removed |
| 2 | DBH of 13 inches to 22.99 inches | Replant 2 trees with minimum tree caliper of 1.5 for each tree removed |
| 3 | DBH of 23 inches to 32.99 inches | Replant 2 trees with a minimum tree caliper of 1.5 for each tree removed |
| 4 | DBH of 33 inches or greater | Replant 3 trees with a minimum tree caliper of 1.5 for each tree removed |
Tree Replacement Alternatives
- If tree replacement on the applicant’s property is not feasible, then the fees listed in the above table for each tree category shall be paid to Mount Laurel Township in the form of a Tree Removal Permit Additional Application Fee.
- The Tree Removal Permit Additional Application Fee will be deposited into a Township account or fund exclusively dedicated for the purposes of implementing community forestry arboricultural practices, including tree planting.
Exemptions
Mount Laurel exempts the following from the tree replacement requirements:
- Tree removal within a residential property with one single-family or two-family dwelling, that involves the removal of up to three ( 3) trees that fall into categories 1, 2, or 3 of the Tree Replacement Requirements Table on an individual property, or per acre of an individual property exceeding one acre in size, with any partial acreage being pro-rated accordingly, within a five-year period. The number of trees removed is a rolling count across any five-year period. For example, if three trees from category 1 are removed in July 2023, the `count’ resets to zero in July 2028. However, if one tree from category 1 is removed in July 2023 and another it in July of 2025 the first tree will come off the count in July 2028 and the second in July 2030. Tree Removal Permit Application and fee shall be required for these trees in order to justify and record the exemption.
- Dangerous trees shall not be counted in the determination of exemptions and may be removed without incurring any replacement tree planting or Tree Removal Permit Application Fee requirement. Any tree(s) with a base located within 25′ of the applicant’s residential structure (home and garage) on residential property with one single-family or two-family dwelling will be considered a dangerous tree(s). A Tree Removal Permit Application must be submitted to the Township to justify and record the removal of one or more dangerous trees. There shall be an exception from filing a Tree Removal Permit Application for dangerous trees located on residential property with one single-family or two-family dwelling, determined as dangerous by a Licensed Tree Expert in a written report, even in the cases of storm-damaged trees and trees felled by natural causes. The written report must be retained at the property for a minimum of five years, in case verification is necessary to be provided.
- Educational institution tree farms and commercial tree farms in active operation, including nurseries, fruit orchards, and garden centers.
- Properties used for the practice of silviculture are under a state-approved forest stewardship or woodland management plan that is active and on file with the Township.
- Any tree removal as part of a Township of State decommissioning plan.
- Any tree removal pursuant to a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved environmental clean-up or NJDEP-approved habitat enhancement plan.
- State-approved game management practices.
Removal of Dangerous Trees
If a tree becomes dangerous or develops dangerous limbs, Mount Laurel requires the owner of the property where the tree is located to implement appropriate protections and/or barriers as soon as possible. The property owner must also promptly arrange for the safe removal of the tree or the dangerous part of the tree if written notice is received from the Township.
