Pennsauken Township recently adopted an ordinance regulating the removal and replacement of trees located on private property. Chapter 289, Article II of Pennsauken Township’s Code addresses trees. Here is what Pennsauken requires to remove a tree:
Tree Removal Application Process
Any person planning to remove a street tree, as defined as tree removal, with DBH of 2.5 inches or more, or any non-street tree with DBH of six inches or more on their property shall submit a tree removal application to the Planning and Zoning Office. No tree shall be removed until municipal officials have reviewed and approved the removal. For larger-scale clearing projects, the Township, at the discretion of the Planning and Zoning Office, may require a tree survey to be submitted as part of the application to determine the number, sizes, and exemptions of trees.
Fees
There is no cost for a resident application. Commercial property owners will have a permit cost of $100.
Tree Replacement Requirements
- Any person who removes one or more street tree(s) with a DBH of 2.5 inches or more, unless exempt, shall replace the trees in accordance with the species type and diversity of replacement trees on the prescribed list found on the NJ Tree Foundation Website: www.njtreefoundation.org.
- Any person who removes three or more tree(s) within a twelve-month period with a DBH of six inches or more per acre, unless exempt, shall replace the trees in accordance with the species type and diversity of replacement trees on the prescribed list found on the NJ Tree Foundation Website: www.njtreefoundation.org.
- All replacement tree(s) shall:
- Be replaced in kind with a tree that has an equal a minimum DBH of at least two inches; and
- Be planted within 12 months of the date of removal of the original tree(s) or at an alternative date specified by the municipality; and
- Be monitored by the applicant for a period of two years to ensure their survival and shall be replaced as needed within 12 months; and
- Shall not be planted in temporary containers or pots, as these do not count toward tree replacement requirements.
Tree Replacement Alternatives
- Plant replacement trees in a separate area(s) approved by the municipality.
- Pay a fee of $175 for residents and $300 for commercial property owners per tree removed. This fee shall be placed into a fund dedicated to tree planting and continued maintenance of the trees.
Exemptions
Pennsauken exempts the following from the tree replacement requirements:
- Residents who remove less than three trees per acre;
- Tree farms in active operation, nurseries, fruit orchards, and garden centers;
- Properties used for the practice of silviculture under an approved forest stewardship or woodland management plan that is active and on file with the municipality;
- Any trees removed as part of a municipal or state decommissioning plan. This exemption only includes trees planted as part of the construction and predetermined to be removed in the decommissioning plan.
- Any trees removed pursuant to a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved environmental clean-up, or NJDEP approved habitat enhancement plan;
- Approved game management practices, as recommended by the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife;
- Hazard trees, once confirmed by the designated Township official to be a hazard, may be removed with no fee or replacement requirement.
