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2. The City of East Lansing encourages homeowners to plant approved street trees in the parkway, however, City of East Lansing residents are required to submit this application and receive prior approval from the City before planting. A site visit will be conducted to ensure that the appropriate variety of tree is chosen and that adequate space is available. 

   Residents may use the I-Tree Design toolkit to model crown growth and the environmental benefits of potential plantings at their specific location. If requesting that the City plant a tree in the public right-of-way near your address, please submit a DPW Tree Planting Request application instead.

4. Name*
6. Street Address*
8. City*
9. State*
10. Zip Code*
12. Email*
14. Phone Number*
18. Please select one of these options.*

    1. I am the property owner at the above address.
    2. If I am not the property owner, I have provided a letter from the property owner with permission to plant.
20. Upload letter from property owner.
24. Please check the boxes below to confirm your understanding of these items.*

    1. I agree to have underground utilities located prior to digging using MISSDIG. Call 811 or visit MissDig811.com. Digging may only occur during a valid, cleared ticket period.
    2. I understand that any tree planted in the public right-of-way becomes a City tree and the responsibility of the City to maintain.
    3. I understand that the City has full authority to perform any future maintenance (ex. tree pruning, tree removal) that it deems necessary for the health and safety of the tree and community.
    4. I understand that an accepted application may be revoked should the locations of underground utilities, planned construction or any other reason that indicates the planting location is not viable.
    5. I understand that no trees shall be planted closer together than the following: Tier 1 trees: 25 feet; Tier 2 trees: 35 feet; Tier 3 trees: 45 feet.*
    6. I agree to notify the Department of Public Works upon completion of the planting.
    7. I will water and care for the newly planted tree for two years using the instructions provided by the City of East Lansing.
26. Street Tree Watering Instructions

    New trees should be watered at planting time and at these intervals:

    • 1-2 weeks after planting, water daily.
    • 3-12 weeks after planting, water every 2 to 3 days.
    • After 12 weeks, water weekly until roots are established.

    How much to water newly planted trees based on size of trunk? Measure the trunk diameter at 6 inches above the ground.

    • 1-inch caliper of tree trunk: 1-1.5 gallons at each irrigation. 1.5 years root establishment time.
    • 2-inch caliper: 2-3 gallons at each irrigation. 3-year root establishment time.
    • 3-inch caliper: 3-4.5 gallons at each irrigation. 4.5-year root establishment time.

28. *Special landscape plantings may be excepted from this provision upon written approval by the Department of Public Works.

30. Street Tree Selection

    The City requires that plantings are informed by the "Right Tree, Right Place" concept. Therefore, all aspects of the tree and the planting location are considered from the ultimate height of the tree, root zone, overhead utilities, sidewalks, etc. This concept minimizes damage to sidewalks and curbs, reduces conflicts with utilities and provides the best opportunity for a tree to grow to maturity. Based on this concept, the City has developed a list of approved street trees which are suitable for residents to plant along City streets. 

    For the purposes of this form, a parkway is defined as the area between the sidewalk and the curb. Where sidewalks are not present, it is the area between the curb/edge of road and the line where the right-of-way meets the property line.

34. Tier 1 Trees: 10-30 feet tall at maturity. Suitable for sites where the following conditions are present:

    1. Parkway width is greater than 3 feet wide. Note: Parkways that are 3-feet wide or less are not suitable for tree planting.
    2. Overhead utility lines are present.
    3. Existing tree canopy or streetlights are present.

36. Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora)
    Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea 'Trazam')
    Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis 'Cumulus')
    Cockspur Thornless Hawthorn (Crataegus crusgalli var inermis)
    Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)

37. Crabapple (Malus sp.)
    Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulate)
    Green Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)
    Eastern Redbud (Cercis Canadensis)

41. Tier 2 Trees: Between 40-60 feet tall at maturity. Suitable for sites where the following conditions are present:

    1. Parkway width is greater than 4 feet.
    2. No overhead utility lines present.

43. American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
    American Hophornbeam (Ostraya virginiana)

44. River Birch (Betula nigra)
    European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

48. Tier 3 Trees: 60 feet tall or greater at maturity. Suitable for sites where the following conditions are present:

    1. Parkway width is greater than 6 feet.
    2. No overhead utility lines present.

50. Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
    Thornless Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var inermis)
    Eastern Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
    Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
    American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
    Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
    Burr Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
    Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
    Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)
    American Elm (Ulmus americana)
    Dawn Redwood (Metasequoai glyptostroboides)

51. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
    London Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia 'Bloodgood')
    Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
    Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)
    Silver Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
    Little Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata)
    American Linden (Tilia americana)
    Hybrid Elm (Ulmus X)
    Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)
    Red Horse Chestnut (Aesculus x carnea)

55. Parkway width:

    feet

57. Please provide the species of tree planned for planting:
59. Additional Notes: Please include any notes, questions or requests regarding your application for staff to know and consider when evaluating your application.

61. City staff will contact you for a site assessment prior to planting. No planting may occur without the express approval of the City of East Lansing Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.

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63. 1. Receive an email copy of this form.
64. Email address

    This field is not part of the form submission.

65. Submit

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