Emergency Requests — within 72 hours

DDOT’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA) is on-call 24 hours a day to respond to tree emergencies that are blocking transportation corridors. Call 311 (311.dc.gov) to report any fallen trees or limbs in public space.

Private property trees and limbs that fall are the responsibility of the property owner. The owner should call a private tree contractor to remove any of their fallen trees or limbs.

If wires are involved, contact Pepco immediately at (202) 872-3432 and do not touch the tree or wire. Trees can become energized and dangerous. Pepco and its contractors are the only entities in the District of Columbia authorized to conduct tree work within 10 feet of power lines.

During events with multiple tree incidents, DDOT will clear, in order of priority, major arterial streets, minor streets, alleys for emergency vehicle access, and sidewalks.

Routine Maintenance Requests — Inspection within 30 days

UFA’s primary mission is to plant and maintain the city's street trees. Street trees are those located between the curb and sidewalk. UFA also clears fallen trees and limbs from roadways and sidewalks, and moves or removes fallen trees or limbs that impede vehicular passage through alleys. UFA does not conduct work on private property trees, nor does it maintain or remove trees from alleys; these are private property issues that must be addressed by the affected property owner.

Planting: November to May, annually (submit requests by June 15)

UFA plants between 3,000 and 4,000 street trees each year. Residents may request a tree for an existing, empty tree box or continuous planting strip (grass strip) in front of their residence or trees for an entire block by calling 311. All planting requests must be submitted before June 15th to be processed for the upcoming fall/winter planting season.

Pruning and Removal: Up to 9 months to complete

UFA prunes the District's street trees to maintain the trees’ overall health, form, and safety for the area around the tree. UFA also prunes to give clearance over sidewalks and roadways, followed by minor roadways, alleys (to allow passage for sanitation and emergency vehicles), and pedestrian walkways. UFA inspects any street trees that may have fallen on homes or vehicles and will clear them in a timely manner.

Private property trees that fall into public space are the owner's responsibility to clear within 24 hours.

• Routine Tree Removal Inspection:  6 – 8 weeks
• Routine Tree Removal:  Up to 9 months

UFA removes trees that are dead, dying/diseased, or unsafe (those that have structural and/or dangerous root defects which cannot be corrected).

UFA removes trees in a three part process

1. Removal of the top or the branches of the tree known as the "crown"
2. Removal of the trunk or the main stem of the tree
3. Removal of the stump on a separate visit after the tree has been cut down. If a stump is not removed in a timely manner, residents are encouraged to call 311.

UFA follows this removal sequence because of the different equipment needed for each part of the tree.

• Elm Tree Services for Dutch Elm Disease:  Winter pruning; April-May injections

For more information about Dutch Elm Disease, see the page called Tree Diseases.

• Female Ginkgo treated to mitigate odor:  March, annually

The public space trees that are marked with a yellow dot are female Ginkgo biloba trees. The Urban Forestry Administration treats these trees with Pincher PGR  to inhibit the fruit development. In the past the Urban Forestry Administration has sprayed these trees to provide the same effect. By injecting the trees, we reduce the amount of water used and that allows us to directly apply the chemical to the internal parts of the tree.

For more information about female ginkgo management, see the page called Female Gingko Tree Removal Policy.