Tree Service in Tyngsborough, MA

Rules and permits

Who decides about trees in Tyngsborough

Two offices share the say over trees in Tyngsborough. Street trees belong to the elected Tree Warden, who checks their condition and handles complaints about trees along town roads (Tree Warden). Near wetlands, ponds and the river, and under the town's Tree Protection bylaw, the Conservation Department and Commission take over (Conservation Department).

Street trees

Elected Tree Warden; urgent matters to the Select Board's Office, 978-649-2300 ext. 100

Near water

Tree removal and vista pruning usually go through a $25 Commission Determination

Wetland no-disturb

No land disturbance within 30 ft of a resource area

Burning

Jan 15 to May 1, $15 online permit plus a daily authorization

Brush drop-off

Bryant Lane, residents only, branches of any size

The Tree Warden and street trees. Tyngsborough elects its Tree Warden under the state's public shade tree law, and the office is responsible for the care and control of all street trees (Tree Warden). The town's 2018 open space plan says the Highway Department and the Tree Warden inspect street and park trees, and that healthy trees come down only when they are a public safety hazard. The same plan notes the town had no shade tree bylaw of its own and had begun looking at a tree preservation bylaw with the regional planning agency in 2019 (open space plan). If a crew needs to block a town road while it works, the Highway Department issues Street Opening and Right of Way Obstruction permits (Highway Department).

Tree Protection and tree clearing plans. The Conservation Department administers a Tree Protection bylaw that is part of the town's zoning (Conservation Department). Its Tree Clearing Plan and Application asks for an electronic copy and eight 11x17 copies of a plan drawn at 1 inch to 40 feet, showing property lines, abutters and public ways within 300 feet, two-foot contours, every wetland and buffer, buildings, driveways and walls, and shaded clearing areas with their square footage, an approximate tree count and the species, plus a tree replacement entry and an erosion control description (Tree Clearing Application packet). The packet doesn't say which projects need it, so ask the Conservation Department whether your job does. Site plan review under the zoning bylaw also weighs measures that keep the removal of mature trees down (Zoning Bylaw, May 2026).

Tree work near water. The Commission's permit page names tree removal and vista pruning as typical small projects, handled as a Commission Determination applied for through the town's online permit portal; work more than 50 feet from a resource area is generally exempt from a full wetland permit, and the Commission can still ask for a Request for Determination or a Notice of Intent (permit applications). Under the fee schedule effective May 28, 2026, a Commission Determination costs $25, a Request for Determination $75 and the local by-law fee for work on residential (R1 to R3) lots $200, and an after-the-fact filing without an Enforcement Order adds 50% (filing fee schedule). The Commission meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 7 p.m. (Conservation Commission).

The 30-foot line. The town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw counts cutting trees as a regulated activity, with a 100-foot buffer, 200 feet along rivers, and fines of up to $300 a day (Wetlands Protection Bylaw). The Commission's regulations allow no disturbance of the land within 30 feet of a resource area; minor pruning and hand-dug planting there need the Conservation Director's approval, and any work within 100 feet of a vernal pool needs a Notice of Intent (wetlands regulations). On a shoreline lot, that line can decide whether a tree is cut, pruned or left.

Before the grinder digs in. Massachusetts counts digging, augering and grading as excavation and requires notice to Dig Safe at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays (M.G.L. c.82 §40A, definition of excavation, c.82 §40). Dig Safe suggests a hired contractor make the call (Dig Safe FAQs), so settle who does it before work starts.

Wires to the house. The state's 2021 electric franchise list shows National Grid serving Tyngsborough (electric franchise list). National Grid trims around its high-voltage lines on a cycle, but branches near the service drop to your house are yours to deal with. For work near that line, call National Grid customer service at 1-800-322-3223 at least five days ahead; a forestry representative looks at the job and the company may sleeve the wires or disconnect the service for a while (National Grid trees FAQ).

Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Tree Service is a referral service. We don't cut trees, request hearings or file with the conservation commission.