Trees that reside between the sidewalk and road (often referred to as the terrace) fall under City ownership and as such the City is responsible for pruning and removal as necessary. Tree pruning under and around power-lines is not conducted by city staff. This is handled by the utility companies themselves and they are regulated by law as to how much pruning is needed.
It is not permissible for a resident to prune city terrace trees. However if you do wish to have a city terrace tree(s) pruned to a greater degree or in a faster manner than what the city can provide, please contact the City Forester/Horticulturist, Mark Wegner, and you may be issued a permit to have a licensed, professional tree service do the work for you. We require this in order to maintain proper pruning techniques, to accurately track tree care activities, and to protect the city from liability issues.
For more information, please call the Parks & Recreation Department at 608-821-8380 or visit the Parks & Recreation's Forestry webpage.
