Responsibilities

The Forestry Division handles the pruning and maintenance of our urban forest. Including removing of street trees, street tree pruning and tree planting with the assistance of the Tree Warden. The Division chips take downs on location and Christmas trees placed curbside and collected the month of January.

Tree Warden

Since the late 1890s, by the General Laws in Massachusetts, every town is required to have a Tree Warden.  The Tree Warden enforces the Public Shade Tree Law (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 87) in Watertown, including the planting, care, maintenance, and removal of Public Shade Trees.

For Tree Warden News and Updates

To be a recipient of tree Warden Notify Me Messages, you can sign up as a subscriber on the following link: Notify Me 

Tree Hearing Updates

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 87, Section 3 (Public Shade Tree Law) defines all trees within a public way or on the boundaries thereto as public shade trees. If it is doubtful whether the tree is within the public way, it shall be taken to be within the public way until the contrary is shown. Public shade trees cannot be cut, trimmed or removed without a prior written permit from the Tree Warden after a Public Hearing duly advertised.

Any written submissions regarding any of the item(s) on a Tree Hearing List are due in the Department of Public Works office no later than 10:30 am on the morning of the hearing, one hour prior to the actual hearing itself. All written submissions will be taken to the tree hearing and read into the record by the Tree Warden.