Local tree-rule guide
Fredericton tree rules
Tree Management By-law covers City trees and private trees where they affect municipal operations; ordinary private-tree care remains owner responsibility.
The local rule
Fredericton’s Tree Management By-law and urban-forest program primarily govern City-owned trees and situations where private vegetation affects municipal operations.
Private-property trees are generally the owner’s responsibility, but owners should contact the City where a tree affects a street, public asset or development approval.
Application details
The ownership line that matters in Fredericton
- Fredericton’s Tree Management By-law is primarily a municipal-tree management framework.
- It also reaches private-property vegetation when it affects City lands, infrastructure or public safety, but it is not presented as a blanket private-yard removal permit.
The City’s current tree guidance says assessment, pruning, treatment and removal of trees on private property are the property owner’s responsibility. The City does not normally respond when a privately owned tree falls entirely on private land without affecting public access or safety.
Trees on municipal streets, parks and other City lands are managed by the municipality. The Tree Management By-law restricts unauthorized damage, planting, attachments and other work on City trees.
A resident may ask the City to remove a City tree, but municipal staff investigate and make a recommendation before a decision. If the City determines a municipal tree is hazardous, the City handles the removal and may plant a replacement.
The bylaw includes provisions for private trees that affect municipal operations, while the City’s current service guidance prioritizes conditions that obstruct public roadways, sidewalks or trails or create a public-safety concern.
Fredericton’s published bylaw summary identifies limited exceptions involving safety hazards, disease/injurious insects and conflicts with public utilities or infrastructure. Those provisions should not be read as permission for routine work on a City tree without authorization.
Because a street-side tree may be on City land even when it appears to sit with a front yard, the safest first step is to establish ownership before authorizing pruning or removal.
Before work starts
- Ownership: check the property line. Public and boundary trees may follow a different process.
- Site context: review any development approval, covenant or protected-area conditions.
- Work requirements: confirm any permit, exemption or protection requirements that apply to the planned work.
Official sources
Primary municipal source reviewed October 1, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the local authority before work. How we research