Tree Pruning & Removal

A division of the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department, Urban Forestry is responsible for implementing an arboriculture program for over 16,000 public trees throughout Wake Forest. The division is also responsible for tree plantings, cyclical pruning, and responding to service requests and tree-related emergencies.

Wake Forest is recognized for its continuing commitment to maintaining an attractive and productive urban forest. Wake Forest has been a Tree City USA since 1979 and has received the Growth Award every year since 2000. Wake Forest Power has also been named a Tree Line USA utility every year since 2015. The award acknowledges Wake Forest Power’s national leadership in caring for the health of trees while removing branches and limbs that grow too to close to its power lines.

Urban Forestry Staff & Equipment

The Urban Forestry Division is comprised of one Urban Forestry Coordinator and one Urban Forestry Technician. Urban Forestry equipment includes one pickup truck and non-powered hand pruning tools, such as pruning shears, loppers, hand saws, and one 6-foot pole saw/pruner.

The division also provides trained Tree Steward volunteers with multiple pruning shears, loppers and hand saws.

Tree Pruning Process

Currently, there are over 16,000 street trees in the town's inventory, along with 630 acres of forests, and more than 1,100 maintained trees in parks and on town property. Another 5,400 locations are available as future tree planting sites. All of these trees will eventually require some level of pruning work.

Most pruning and removal work is performed by International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)-certified contractors, while all stump grinding is done by a contractor. Any pruning or removals that can be performed with non-powered hand pruning tools may occasionally be performed by the Urban Forestry Technician or a Tree Steward.

To report a problem or dead tree

1. Enter the complaint on See, Click, Fix

2. The complaint will be inspected by the Wake Forest Urban Forestry Coordinator as resources and time allow.

3. The result of that inspection will be communicated through See, Click, Fix.

4. The recommended action on the complaint will be assigned to the appropriate contractor or tree trimming crew for completion as time and resources allow.

PLEASE NOTE: Requests for service are reviewed and work is prioritized for response based upon need and hazard. Due to staffing and the number of requests received, it may take several weeks or months before completing a request. 

Ten-Year Pruning Cycle

The Urban Forestry Division is in the process of developing a systematic and proactive approach to pruning. As part of the process, the division has developed a proposal for a 10-year pruning cycle map. The color-coded map highlights the Urban Forestry Division's tree pruning schedule over the next 10 years. The division's goal is to eventually reduce the cycle to five years. However, in order to meet the goals outlined in the 10-year pruning cycle, the Urban Forestry Division will be required to prune approximately 1,600 street trees each year. The five-year cycle would require the division to prune 3,200 each year.

The Urban Forestry Coordinator is not only responsible for the overall maintenance of street trees, but also reviews commercial and residential development plans, conducts landscape inspections for both commercial and residential developments, conducts workshops and training classes, oversees the planning, coordination and implementation of the annual Arbor Day celebration, manages tree maintenance contracts, and various other duties.