The Village of Oswego is proud to be a Tree City USA! The Arbor Day Foundation has honored Oswego as a Tree City USA every year since 1993. The Village meets the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.

Parkway Trees

Trees in the parkway are owned by the Village of Oswego. The parkway is generally defined as the area between the curb and sidewalk. There are more than 16,500 trees in the parkway so the Village asks residents to help maintain the trees by watering during extended dry spells and doing light pruning to keep sidewalks clear.

Privately Owned Trees

Trees that are located on privately owned property not in the parkway are the responsibility of the property owner. The Village's arborist can sometimes advise residents on the proper care of privately owned trees, however, Village crews do not provide any trimming or removal services for privately owned trees. These services must be done at the owner's expense.

Parkway Tree Inspections

Trees are regularly inspected by a village arborist. The arborist is looking for cracks in the trunk, broken or hanging branches, obstruction of streets and sidewalks and clear site of street signs. The arborist is also inspecting for signs of disease or insect infestation. At the same time we are checking for dead or dying trees that need to be removed. 

Parkway Tree Pruning

Pruning improves the health of trees, increases their lifespan, and clears obstructed views in roadways and other safety hazards. The Village of Oswego is currently on a five-year pruning cycle for parkway trees. Once staff completes trimming in a neighborhood, those trees will be pruned again in approximately another five years. Residents with concerns about a specific parkway tree in need of maintenance prior to the next scheduled trimming can contact the Public Works Department.  The Village will send a staff member out to inspect the tree for needed maintenance.

During routine pruning, certified and trained staff go through a designated subdivision and prune all parkway trees to a height that will allow traffic flow, including sufficient clearance for snow plows and garbage trucks, signs, bikes and pedestrians. Staff is trained according to the National Pruning Standards, and will remove damaged branches and continue around the tree to make it uniform and healthy.

Be advised that this is a newer service provided by the Village and as a result some trees have never been pruned. When pruned, these trees will initially appear over pruned. This is because the branches in need of removal are larger than those of a younger tree. Staff only removes branches that must be removed for safety or for the health of the tree.

For further information or questions please contact the Public Works office at 630-554-3242.

Private Tree Pruning

Residents are responsible for pruning trees located on privately owned property not in the parkway. Learn more about proper tree pruning technique with this guide from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Parkway 50/50 Tree Replacement Program

If you are a homeowner and your tree was removed, you may choose to participate in the 50/50 Tree Replacement Program. This program allows homeowners to select the species of the tree from a list provided by the Village.

If you choose to participate in the 50/50 Tree Replacement Program you will be responsible for half of the cost of the tree, which is purchased wholesale by the Village. You are not charged for the removal, the stump grinding or the planting.  Depending on the weather conditions, you may need to water the new tree once a week.  

The Village plants trees in the spring and fall.

If you are interested in participating in the 50/50 Program, please complete the form below.  You will then receive an e-mail from the Public Works Department a few weeks before the scheduled planting.  The e-mail will include the list of available trees, the cost, and information about how to make your payment and reserve your tree. 

Please contact the Public Works office at 630-554-3242 if you have any questions about the 50/50 Tree Replacement Program.