Street Trees in Lansing & East Lansing: Who Can Cut Them?

One of the most frequent legal misunderstandings among homeowners in Lansing and East Lansing concerns the ownership of curbside trees. Homeowners regularly maintain the grass in the parkway strip between the concrete sidewalk and the road curb, leading many to believe they own everything growing within that strip.

Legally, that strip of land is part of the public highway or street right-of-way. In both Lansing and East Lansing, trees rooted within the public easement are legally classified as municipal street trees. Property owners cannot unilaterally prune, top, or cut down these trees without violating municipal codes.

In the City of Lansing, public trees are governed under Chapter 688 of the Lansing Codified Ordinances. The legal standard is explicit:

Under Lansing Code §688.01, no person may cut, trim, prune, remove, or plant any tree or shrub in any public street, park, boulevard, or highway without first obtaining a written permit from the Lansing City Forester (Forestry Division of the Department of Public Service).

Furthermore, Section 688.05 designates the unauthorized removal, mutilation, or trimming of a public street tree as a municipal civil infraction (amended under Ordinance No. 1286). Penalties include substantial civil fines and mandatory restitution costs to replace the public tree canopy.

Homeowners living across the municipal boundary in East Lansing must navigate a separate municipal code. The City of East Lansing places a strong emphasis on urban forestry and canopy preservation.

Under East Lansing City Code, a city-engineer permit is required prior to the removal or significant disturbance of any tree measuring 4 inches in diameter (caliper) or larger located in public rights-of-way, public easements, or designated development sites. In East Lansing, trees planted in the street easement are managed by the Department of Public Works. Never hire a contractor to cut a curbside tree in East Lansing without verifying DPW authorization.

A frequent gray area occurs when residential streets lack concrete sidewalks—as in many parts of Lansing Township, Delta Township, and rural Ingham County subdivisions. Homeowners often ask: Where does the public road easement end and private property begin?

Determining Property Easement Lines: Road right-of-ways in Mid-Michigan are typically established by platted width, often extending 30 to 33 feet from the center line of the street asphalt. An arborist examining a doubtful property line will cross-reference Ingham County GIS parcel boundary monuments before cutting. If the trunk flare crosses the boundary line, it is deemed a boundary tree requiring dual authorization.

The Sidewalk Heaving Dilemma: Mature silver maple and oak roots frequently heave concrete sidewalk panels, creating trip hazards. Homeowners facing municipal sidewalk repair notices often assume they can simply chop through the offending root. Severing major structural buttress roots over 2 inches in diameter within 5 feet of the trunk destroys the tree's anchoring leverage, turning an otherwise stable shade tree into a catastrophic blowdown hazard during the next windstorm. We work with property owners to evaluate alternative solutions, such as ramping concrete or installing flexible pavers, before radical root pruning is considered.

Overhead power lines add another layer of regulatory oversight. The Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) provides electric service across Lansing, East Lansing, and parts of DeWitt and Delta townships. BWL operates a systematic five-year cyclical tree-trimming program to maintain clearance around high-voltage distribution circuits.

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333, uncertified tree workers must maintain a minimum 10-foot boundary from energized primary lines. If a curbside tree or private backyard tree has branches touching primary electric wires, do not attempt to trim it yourself. Contact BWL to inspect the line; utility crews will either prune the clearance envelope or de-energize the circuit so private tree contractors can work safely.

For low-voltage secondary service drops (the line leading from the utility pole to your home's electrical weatherhead), BWL generally does not perform pruning unless branches exert direct mechanical tension or abrasion on the wire. Total Tree Maintenance coordinates with BWL to disconnect service temporarily when difficult trees require felling near residential service drops.

If a tree between your sidewalk and curb in Lansing appears dead, hollow, or hazardous, follow these three steps: