Tree & Community Forestry

The City of Maplewood values the urban forest and is committed to enhancing tree diversity. To keep our tree canopy healthy, the City’s contracted tree inspector identifies trees with contagious disease or pests on private and public property, including emerald ash borer and oak wilt. To ensure a vibrant and diverse urban canopy, the City has a 1:1 replacement strategy for trees in public spaces and hosts an annual tree sale for residents each spring.

Tree Questions?

Who to contact:

  •  Sustainability Coordinator, 651-249-2304: Tree Preservation for planned building development and tree ordinance revisions
  •  Natural Resources Coordinator, 651-249-2416: Tree Disease Inspection Program and overall urban forestry program
  •  Public Works, 651-249-2400: To report a tree concern on City maintained property and questions about tree contractors or disease

Trees on Private Property

A tree contractor with an arborist on staff should be hired for general maintenance or removal of trees on private property. Oak and Ash trees should not be trimmed from May 1 to October 1. Common questions that arise between neighbors are addressed in the Minnesota Tree Law-A Layperson’s Guide by the University of Minnesota.

Private Tree Relief Program

At the May 28, 2024 City Council Workshop, the City Council discussed various options for a relief program to help property owners deal with EAB infected trees that are on private property.  A program has been developed for homeowners to hire a contractor to take down the tree(s) with the City paying for the work (up to $3,000) and pay back the City over time as part of the property tax assessment. For more information on this program, please visit the Ash Tree Removal Relief Page.

2024 Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation Project

The City was awarded a $450,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural resources in 2024 to help the City remove and replace as many diseased ash trees as possible with climate adaptive tree species. The trees removed and replaced during this project were generally located east of Rice Street, north of Larpenteur Avenue, west of Prosperity Road, and south of Highway 36. The trees were all within the public rights-of-way along City streets or within maintained areas of parks. 

The removal of these diseased ash trees, along with the installation of replacement trees were completed in 2024. These trees will be maintained by the contractor and City until November of 2027. 

If you have any questions on this project, please reach out to Public Works at (651) 249-2400.