Who Maintains the City Trees?

Did you know that the maintenance of the street trees is the responsibility of the neighboring property? Many homeowners are unaware that the city trees planted in the planting strip are their responsibility to maintain. Klamath City code 5.632 states "It shall be the duty of an owner or person in charge of property that abuts upon a street, alley or public sidewalk to keep all trees and bushes on the premises, including the adjoining planting strip, trimmed to a height of not less than seven feet above the sidewalk and not less than 13 feet above the roadway". Trees and bushes should not interfere with street or sidewalk traffic and any dead/dying trees or broken branches that are hazardous to the public must be removed to prevent injury and property damage.

Many homeowners are unaware that if they fail to maintain these trees to city code then they can be issued a citation by code enforcement. Properly maintained trees can improve air quality and mitigate the urban heat island effect. Trees not only absorb sun rays but they also provide shade which can keep cement and asphalt cool and lower temperatures. Well maintained trees can be a huge benefit to the urban environment, however, poorly maintained trees can be extremely hazardous and dangerous to the public.

In some situations a city tree may need to be removed, however, the tree removal must be completed by a qualified and licensed contractor that has experience removing trees. The City of Klamath Falls also requires a permit from the City Planning Department to remove a city tree. A tree trimming permit can be found here: https://www.klamathfalls.city/DocumentCenter/View/584/Tree-Removal-and-Trimming-Permit-Application---2017-PDF

Not sure if your trees are up to city code? Give us a call at (541) 851-9080 for a free consultation! We take care of all the paperwork for you and we are on the approved tree contractors list for the City of Klamath Falls.

The complete city tree maintenance codes for Klamath Falls can be found at https://www.klamathfalls.city/266/City-Tree-Codes

If you have any questions on city tree maintenance codes or how to fill out and submit a tree trimming permit please give us a call at (541) 851-9080 and we will be more than happy to help you.