Tree Service in Eagleswood, NJ

Eagleswood regulates tree removal under Chapter 263 (Trees), adopted November 10, 1992 by Ordinance No. 17-92. The chapter is clear about who it binds: no person, including the property owner, may remove or destroy any tree on land within the Township without a permit unless an exemption applies. A permit is required for deciduous trees over 3 inches DBH, coniferous trees over 4 inches DBH, and dogwood or American holly 1 inch DBH or greater, measured at 4 feet. The Zoning Officer issues the permit after consulting the Township Engineer, and properties inside the Pinelands zone also require Pinelands Commission approval.

Chapter 263 carries three exemptions many homeowners never hear about. No permit is required to remove a dead or diseased tree. A residential owner may claim an exemption for the area of land surrounding the home equal to the minimum lot area their zoning district requires for a dwelling. And an applicant for a building permit who removes no trees more than 15 feet from the proposed building, driveway, drainage field, septic tank, or other facility built at the same time is exempt from the chapter entirely. Pro-Stump (NJ LTE #200988) confirms which of these applies before any work and prepares the permit paperwork when one is needed.

The ordinance was written on a stormwater logic years before the state required it: the Township found that clearing unimproved and vacant land for development had caused excess tree cutting, increased surface water runoff, and soil erosion. That reasoning ties Chapter 263 to the Township's stormwater quality and flood damage prevention chapters, which carry real weight on Eagleswood's low, tidal bay side. Because Chapter 263 predates the 2023 NJDEP MS4 tree-removal mandate, confirm the current replacement requirements with the Township before removal, since local rules can be updated.