Tree Removal FAQs
As many of you know the Village of Lincolnshire possesses one
of the most comprehensive Tree Preservation
Ordinances in America. Perhaps the most important Section
of this tree code is the segment which explains a resident's
rights and responsibilities with regard to tree removal. This
article will answer some of the more commonly asked questions
about Lincolnshire's tree removal policies.
Q: How do I apply for a Tree Removal Permit?
A: See Tree
Removal Permitting Process
Q: When is a Tree Removal Permit required?
A: A Tree Removal Permit must be obtained when a tree of 6-inch dbh (the diameter
of a tree measured 4.5 feet above the ground) or more, or a grouping of trees
with a combined dbh of six inches or more, is to be removed from any property
located within the Village limits.
Q: What circumstances warrant the removal of a tree?
A: If no development is contemplated, a tree may be removed only when:
- Removal is necessary to observe good forestry practice such
as the removal of invasive woody plants to restore a degrading
woodland,
- A tree, due to natural circumstances is dead or irreversibly
declining, is in danger of falling, or is otherwise determined
to be a hazard, or
- Removal is to create a single, regularly shaped, rear yard
lawn which may not exceed 10 percent of the entire rear yard
area.
(Item 2 simply requires Village authorization; items 1 and 3 require a permit from
the Village.)
It may also be necessary to remove a tree when it falls within
the footprint of a proposed addition or amenity. Tree removals
associated with a Building Permit require a Tree Removal Permit
as well as the planting of replacement trees.
Q: Do I need to replace a dead or irreversibly declining
tree?
A: When a tree of 6 inch dbh or greater is dead, hazardous, or irreversibly
declining due to natural circumstances, there are no replacements required.
However, the Village Forester must be notified prior to removing the tree to
verify its condition and authorize the removal.
Q: How does one determine the amount of replacements that
will be required?
A: Any tree of 6 inch dbh or more, or a grouping of trees with a combined dbh
of 6 inches or more which necessitates removal and is listed in Appendix A:
Significant Trees of Lincolnshire, (contained in the Tree
Preservation Ordinance), must be replaced on a caliper inch for inch basis.
Any non-Appendix A tree of 6-inch dbh or more, or a grouping of trees with
a combined dbh of six inches which necessitates removal, must be replaced with
trees whose total dbh is equal to 30 percent of the total dbh of trees removed.
Therefore, removal of a 20-inch Oak would require 20 inches of replacement,
while removal of a 20-inch Cottonwood would require just six inches of replacement
trees. |
