Trees

City Tree Work Requests:

City Tree Inspections: 

Inspections can be requested for trees on City property near your home if you suspect their are issues with their health or damage causing safety concerns to the public. Inspections are conducted by the City Arborist and include a visual general health and risk inspection of the tree. To request an inspection, contact the City Arborist. Generally, inspections can be completed within one week of the request. After an inspection, any work determined to be needed will be coordinated either with our tree contractors or our in house parks crew.

Request City to Perform Tree Work: 

To request that the City perform work on City trees in the right-of-way, contact the City Arborist or submit an online request through VueWorks Request. This will be added to our list of work to be completed. The list is managed in order of risk to the public, not in order it was received. This may take some time to complete especially depending on time of year. If you do not want to wait for our crews availabiliy, approved maintenance may be completed at your own expense by a private contractor. 

Private Contractor to Perform Work on City Trees: 

If you would like to hire a private contractor to complete tree maintenance on a City tree in the right-of-way, fill out a permit application (PDF) for approval and submit it to the City Arborist. Approval from the City Arborist is only required for trees on City Property that you would like your private arborist to perform maintenance on (ie. prune a city tree away from your house etc).

Tree Planting: 

To get on the list to plant a tree in the road ROW in front of your house, contact the City Arborist. Tree plantings are completed as budget and time are available.

Tree Fund: We accept donations to be used to plant trees. If you are interested in donating in memorial of a loved one or just want to help plant more trees in South Portland please let us know.  Make a donation online, or send a check.

Checks can be made out to: City of South Portland with a note for "Tree Fund"
Please send checks to:  
Municipal Services Facility
929 Highland Ave
South Portland, ME 04106

City Tree Contractors: 

Most of tree work is completed by our professional tree contractor Asplundh Tree Experts. This company provided a bid and was awarded the contract. The contract goes out to competitive bidding every 2 years. The City's Parks crew does some tree work, mainly from the ground as well as some tasks that can be completed from our small bucket truck.

Tree Work Objectives: Maintenance pruning to include hazard reduction and pruning dead, decayed, or dying branches, weakly attached branches or over extended branches and limbs blocking street signs, stop signs, traffic signals and street lights. Clearance pruning shall be pruned to 14 feet over streets, 10 feet over driveways, 15 feet over house roofs and 8 feet over walkways.

Tree Care Around Power Lines:  Central Maine Power prunes all trees (City and Private) around their power lines on a 6 year cycle. They also do hazard tree removal and storm tree removals around their power lines. They are a private company that maintains their infrastructure and does not work for the city. Visit the CMP website to learn more.

Private Property Trees

Trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner.  You must be aware of City ordinances before engaging in tree work. To find a list of Maine Licensed Arborist companies see the State of Maine website for a listing.

Tree Protection Ordinance:

Refer to the Tree Protection Ordinance for tree removal restrictions.

Vegetation and other Tree-Related Ordinances: 

The City Arborist sends official letters through the mail to property owners of trees or shrubs when complaints arise from the following:  

1. If you have a dead tree on your property that threatens the public:
   2-209 (e). The city Arborist shall have the authority to order the trimming, spraying, preservation or removal of trees or plants located on private property when he shall find such action necessary for public safety or to prevent the spread of disease or insects to public trees or places.
2. If you have shrubs or trees that grow into the road or sidewalk:
   Per city ordinance section 23-11 (b) (3) iv. Plantings shall not grow into the roadway and/or sidewalk or otherwise interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic.  Plantings that are deemed to interfere with pedestrians and/or vehicular traffic must be trimmed by the person who planted them within 48 hours of notice from the City.  If the City deems the overgrowth an immediate threat, or the situation is not remedied after 48 hours of notice, then the City may remove the plantings and recover fees as specified in subsection (f);
3. If you have shrubs or trees that cause sightline issues at intersections: 
   Per city ordinance section 23-11 (b) (3) i., ii. Planting shall not exceed three feet in height and shall not occur within 30 feet of an intersection.
4. If you prune or remove City trees without the City Arborist permission: 
   Sec. 2-210. Permits required. Planting, maintenance or removal. 
   No person shall plant, spray, fertilize, preserve, prune, remove, cut above ground, or otherwise disturb any tree on any street or city-owned property without first filing an application and procuring a permit from the city arborist or otherwise specified municipal authority. The person receiving the permit shall abide by the arboricultural specifications and standards of practice adopted by the city arborist. In emergency situations, such as storm damage to trees, requiring immediate pruning or removal, the work may be done. The arborist must, however, be informed of such action within two (2) days thereafter.

Read Ordiance Sections 2-206 through 2-217.

Read Ordinance Sections 23-9 through 23-10.