Circuit Tree Maintenance

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Arlington County maintains 19,500 public street trees Countywide-- many of which line neighborhood streets. The purpose of the preventative Circuit Tree Maintenance program is to support a healthy tree canopy. Maintenance may include pruning, treatment of harmful pests and diseases, and/or removal. The goal is to maintain all street trees on a five-year cycle. 

Tree Issues Addressed

Work focuses on:

  1. Removing dead, broken, overextended, or diseased limbs or trees larger than 4 inches in diameter that may pose a high risk to people, vehicles, or structures.
  2. Providing a vertical clearance of 7 ft. over sidewalks and 10 ft. over most streets and parking spaces, and 16 ft. over arterial streets, depending on context.
  3. Maintaining visual clearance of critical infrastructure such as stop signs and traffic signals.
  4. Pruning limbs within 5 ft. of buildings. Trees may be pruned up to 10 ft. away, depending on context.
  5. Pruning of young trees for improved long term stability and health.
  6. Removing downed limbs and trees, outside of natural areas.

What to Expect?

  • No-parking signs will be installed in advance for the anticipated duration of the tree maintenance.
  • Maintenance typically does not last longer than a couple of days, depending on the work involved.
  • Arlington County will contact the Civic Association to inform them of the upcoming maintenance activity.

Will trees be removed as part of this program?

Occasionally, trees will be found to be dead, or have a high risk of failure and impact, due to major structural faults. These trees may be scheduled for removal as part of this program. Removal is the last course of action, and, where possible, we seek to find alternative ways to prolong a tree’s physical and structural health. When possible, a tree will be replanted in it's place. To learn more about planting trees on public property.

Sequence Map

County staff or contractors will work neighborhood by neighborhood. Click on the map below to see which neighborhood is currently in progress, what's been done, and what's up next. Neighborhoods are numbered in the order that tree maintenance will occur:

Last updated Nov. 14, 2024

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Contact urbanforestry@arlingtonva.us with questions about this program. If you have an immediate tree risk issue that needs to be assessed, please use the Report a Problem tool.

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