Tree pruning service
The tree pruning program is one of the most important elements in maintaining the trees which make up the public portion of the Urban Forest. The main objective of the program is to prune all of the trees on boulevards and parklands on a regular basis in accordance with approved standards. Individual pruning requests are scheduled and completed on a priority basis as described below.
Tree Maintenance Priority Ratings
Priority 1 (High Priority) (work to be carried out as soon as operationally possible) Definition: High risk of injury to people or damage to property or vehicle:
- Tree blocking a stop sign or street signal light
- Tree blocking visibility at intersection
- Tree encroaching upon street right of ways or pedestrian sidewalks, which may cause damage to vehicles or injury to pedestrians
- Hazard tree, major broken branch in danger of falling with a potential target for damage
- Branches are obstructive and cannot mow grass under the tree because of possible injury to eyes - high risk of injury has been identified
Priority 2 (Low Priority) (work to be completed within 2 to 3 years) Definition: Not an immediate safety concern or risk of injury or damage but may become so in the future:
- Trees blocking street lighting, decreasing illumination at night
- Tree encroaching upon private property with the potential to affect a dwelling
- Suckers or branches causing obstruction along a block
General Pruning (previously Priority 3 - will not be pruned) Definition: Low risk of injury or damage... examples:
- Trees on private property
- Requests for pruning as leaves, seeds or stems are a nuisance (e.g. falling in my yard, making a mess of my pool, shading my garden/deck/grass/patio, interfering with the growth of my private tree, obstructing their view from the house, honey dew dripping from aphids)
- Pruning for aesthetic reasons (e.g. tree is ugly, needs shaping, black knot, ash flower gall mites)
- Poor reception from satellite dish
Pruning Options (hiring a qualified contractor)
Citizens have the option of personally hiring a private contractor at their own expense, please see the Guidelines for Maintaining City Owned Trees Using a Contractor, which can be found here.
Benefits of providing tree pruning service for publicly owned trees include:
- Removes branches that may be a safety risk, diseased or dead
- Removes branches obstructing the view of traffic signs or lights, street lighting and visual obstructions relative to street corners and railway sight lines
- Maintain the health and vigor of the trees
- 'Trains' young trees by developing good branch and crown structure
- Improves the appearance of the tree by maintaining the natural shape
- Thins the crown in order to allow sunlight/air penetration
- Removes low branches to provide clearance over public right of ways and pedestrian walkways
Urban Forestry Branch Contact Information: 1539 Waverley St., Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 4V7 tel: 311, Fax: 204.222.2839