What to Know Before You Remove a Tree in Lincoln

When to schedule

If the tree is not an emergency, late fall through winter is usually the better window. Trees are dormant, demand is lower, and crews often have more room in the schedule.

Timing matters in Lincoln because storms change the market quickly. Severe weather is common from late spring into summer, and major tree-damage events have hit in late July and August. After a big windstorm, local crews can book out for months and emergency work takes priority.

So there are two timelines. A healthy tree you want gone can usually wait for the quieter season. A storm-damaged tree leaning on a roof, blocking access, or touching a line is an emergency and should be handled right away.

One caution either way: avoid routine pruning during the spring growth flush and fall leaf-change when trees are more vulnerable. Dead limbs, broken limbs, and hazards can come off anytime, especially after a storm.

Pine wilt: the deadline most people miss

If you have a pine that is dying or recently dead, the calendar matters.

Pine wilt is spread by beetles that emerge in spring. It affects Scotch and Austrian pines and is common across southeast Nebraska.

The practical rule from UNL Extension is straightforward. A pine that dies between roughly May and October should come out right away. A pine that dies after October needs to be removed and destroyed by April 30, before beetles emerge and carry the disease to healthy pines nearby.

The dead wood is the problem because it can support the next season's beetles. It should be burned, buried, or chipped, not kept as firewood.

If a crew is casual about this deadline, that tells you something.

Emerald ash borer: treat or remove

Ash is the bigger long-term issue in Lincoln.

Emerald ash borer reached the city in 2018, spread to every quadrant within a few years, and Lincoln is steadily removing thousands of city-owned ash trees. Many more ash trees stand on private property.

If you have an ash, the decision is usually whether to treat it while it is still healthy or remove it before it becomes brittle. Treatment can make sense for a healthy, high-value tree near a known infestation. For many others, planned removal is the safer decision.

The main point is not to wait until the tree is fully dead if removal is likely anyway. Dead ash turns brittle, and brittle wood can change how the job has to be done.

Lincoln also has city programs worth asking about, including Adopt-an-Ash and income-qualified removal and replanting help. Community Forestry is the place to start.

Who owns the tree: permits and the curb strip

A tree in your own yard, away from the street, usually does not need a city permit to remove.

The curb strip is different. The ground between the sidewalk and the curb is almost always city-owned, even though you may mow it. Removing or planting a tree there requires a written permit from Lincoln Community Forestry.

When in doubt about whether the tree is yours or the city's, ask Community Forestry before you schedule work. It is a quick call that can prevent a much bigger problem later.

Power lines: call LES first

If the tree or its limbs are in or near power lines, do not start with a private crew.

Lincoln Electric System handles vegetation around its own lines. Trimming near energized lines is dangerous, and it is not something to solve with the cheapest quote.

Call LES first. After a storm, LES may clear limbs from the lines but leave debris cleanup to the property owner. A private tree crew may still handle the rest of the job once the line is safe.