Oversight and maintenance of the trees found along the street falls under the domain of one of a number of public organizations depending on the particular need, including Metro Water Services (MWS), Nashville Electric Service (NES), and the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT). Here, we’ll go over those care situations, as well as how residents can plant new street trees.

What to Know About Tree Trimming in Nashville

Who Is Responsible for Cutting Overhanging Tree Branches in Nashville?

Caring for trees across an entire city is a big task—one that is divided among residents and public works. Trees on residential property are the responsibility of the owners, who should work with certified arborists at tree trimming services in Nashville, while trees on public rights of way fall under the responsibility of various public organizations. 

A right of way is land that public entities require access to for utility purposes. For example, the electric service needs to maintain and access neighborhood power lines that cross properties, while other infrastructure features like street lamps, water mains, and hydrants are on public land, such as the parkway.

The parkway is one of several names for the space located between the street and the sidewalk where many city and neighborhood trees are found. Most people don’t realize these right of way strips aren’t private property, in part because those spaces are often encouraged to be “adopted” by the homeowners of the adjacent property and maintained with discretion. As we’ll explain later, Nashville has an approval process for planting new trees in these spaces to be sure it’s done correctly and with public infrastructure in mind, for the sake of the equipment as well as the trees and residents.

Parkway and right-of-way trees are managed by one of three entities, depending on the situation:

• Metro Water Services’ Urban Forestry Team is in charge of general street tree maintenance, with some limitations

• The Nashville Electric Service assumes responsibility for tree trimming along power lines and near electrical equipment

• The Nashville Department of Transportation responds to priority and emergency tree maintenance situations 

Metro Water Services’ Urban Forestry Team

We checked in with MWS to learn about their urban forestry program. Sonia Allman, manager of strategic communications, shared with us how the department cares for street trees across the city from season to season and year to year.

Metro Water Services views trees as necessary stormwater infrastructure and is committed to maintaining the trees on the public rights of way to ensure a strong tree canopy and abundant leaf surface area for sustainable stormwater benefits. Due to limited staffing capacity, tree maintenance is focused in the more urban portions of the city and along NDOT-designated snow routes.

MWS has a four-year cyclical tree maintenance program for the downtown area and a five-year cyclical program for the urban area outside of the downtown loop. For the downtown cycle program, the area inside the loop is divided into quadrants. Each year, every tree on the public right of way in one of the quadrants is assessed for pruning, fertilization, and pest treatment needs. MWS uses highly qualified contractors to have the necessary maintenance work completed. After completion, MWS arborists inspect the work to ensure it meets MWS specifications and industry standards. 

Outside of the downtown loop, the city is divided into five management zones. All trees on the public right of way along the NDOT-designated snow routes in one of the five zones are assessed for pruning needs. Trees near high-voltage electrical lines are referred to NES for maintenance according to their specifications. MWS uses its highly qualified tree care contractors to perform the necessary pruning. As in downtown, MWS arborists inspect the work to ensure it meets specifications and standards.

Pruning operations typically occur between November and June, while fertilization operations typically occur between March and July. In rare instances, these can occur at other times of the year. Pest treatments are timed to target a particular pest when it is most vulnerable.

Residents should report tree issues, such as unhealthy or dead trees, at hub.nashville.gov. These are treated with priority by the Nashville Department of Transportation. Similarly, when Water Services arborists notice a failing tree, they submit a request to NDOT to prioritize its removal. Dead tree removal is addressed year-round.

All newly planted trees that are watered as part of MWS’s two-year maintenance/watering program receive a light training prune after the second growing season.

Planting New Trees in the Right Of Way

We really encourage people to plant trees on the right of way; it’s a great area for planting! MWS must approve all plans to plant new trees on the right of way, but we here at the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps are glad to help residents navigate the process! Some of the submission requirements include a map of the proposed planting site and the surrounding area, a list of the tree(s) to be planted, and a schedule for the project. If you’re interested in planting a tree in the right of way by your house, contact us!

If you’re thinking of planting new trees on your own property, consider browsing NTCC’s tree sale! You can also volunteer with us to help plant some of those new street trees or donate a tree to have one planted! For news and tips on canopy care in Nashville, subscribe to our newsletter.