Town of Vermont Tree Trimming Policy

Guidelines

  1. To protect the Town’s investment in their roads.
  2. To provide safe roads.
  3. To allow for efficient maintenance of the roads.
  4. To allow for landowner notification and input.
  5. To help protect the natural beauty of the Town of Vermont.

Assumptions

  1. That it is the Town Board’s responsibility to adopt a set of guidelines consistent with the above goals.
  2. That these are considered guidelines, and as such, there is need for flexibility of interpretation based on the best judgment of the road patrolman and the Town Board.
  3. The guidelines do not apply to emergency cutting in the event of blow downs that obstruct roads.

Notification

  1. Notify affected landowners along roads targeted for major road work and/or trimming as soon as possible before the anticipated work begins. The semi-annual newsletter should be used to outline future work areas.
  2. When a landowner requests some cutting be done on the right of way bordering their own property the patrolman should attempt to notify neighboring landowners.

Where to cut?

  1. Within the town right-of-way.

What to cut?

  1. Class 1 – Cut completely:
    1. Dead or decaying trees, plus any box-elder, buck thorn, prickly ash, poplar, honeysuckle and mulberry; and all other trees less than four (4) inches in diameter.
    2. Birch, cherry, red cedar, elms, and other trees only if they present a safety concern on a road curve or at an intersection.
    3. Cut even to ground and treat only the stumps as soon as possible with an appropriate herbicide to prevent re-sprouting.
  2. Trim only
    1. Sound oaks, hickory, maple, walnut, and other mature species, more than four (4) inches in diameter.
    2. Trim only the branches that are hanging less than twenty-five (25) feet above and area that covers the road width, plus three (3) feet back for either side of the pavement. Trim these branches back to the tree. This trimming should be done while the tree is dormant. Because of oak blight, trimming of oaks and trimming near an oak should only be done in winter months.

What do we do with wood that is cut?

  1. All wood will be left in appropriate lengths along the roadway for landowners to pick up.
  2. If the wood is not picked up within thirty (30) days, the patrolman may make other arrangements. The smaller branches should be chipped if possible.

Mowing

  1. Generally mow ten (10) feet back (two swaths of the mower) from the edge of the road.
  2. Every attempt will be made to respect any prairie plants or other wildflowers along the roadways per landowners request.

Small trees meeting the above specifications must be marked so as not to be mowed.