Law Commons^™

Guardians Of Municipal Public Trees: Commonwealth Of Massachusetts Tree Wardens’ Authority And Accountability, Julie E. Steiner

Faculty Scholarship

Today’s tree wardens are continually called upon to strike a balance between preservation of public trees and protection of the public from hazardous tree conditions. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been a pioneer in tree protection legislation, including the enactment of the first state legislation requiring a municipal tree warden. As guardians of the municipal landscape, tree wardens decide whether and when to plant new public shade trees, or to permit those that already exist to be cut, trimmed, or removed. This Article describes the important historical role the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played in protecting public trees, the legal …