Do I need a permit to clear my land?

It depends. Disturbing an acre or more of soil generally needs DEC stormwater permit coverage, clearing near wetlands or streams can need a DEC permit, and construction projects may need town approval. Small backyard clearing usually needs none of these.

Can you leave the trees I want to keep?

Yes. Selective clearing keeps the healthy trees you flag and removes the rest.

What happens to all the wood?

Your choice: chips can be spread on site, larger wood can be left as firewood, or everything can be hauled away.

Land Clearing in Manlius & Cazenovia, NY

What land clearing covers

Tree removal across a whole area instead of one tree at a time.
Brush and undergrowth: thickets, saplings and invasive shrubs like buckthorn and honeysuckle that take over field edges.
Stumps: ground down so the ground can be mowed, seeded or graded.
Chipping and haul-away, or leaving firewood and chips on site if you want them.

Selective vs. full clearing

Selective clearing keeps the trees worth keeping, like healthy hardwoods, shade trees and privacy screens, and takes out everything else. Walk the lot first and flag the keepers with ribbon.

Full clearing takes everything down, usually for a building pad, driveway or pasture. It's faster per acre, but you can't undo it, so be sure about the boundaries.

Before the work starts

Know your property lines. Find the survey pins or get a survey. Cutting a neighbor's trees is an expensive mistake.
Get utilities marked by calling 811 (Dig Safely New York) before any stump grinding or digging.
Plan access for the equipment, and decide where the wood and chips will go.

Rules worth checking

An acre or more: projects that disturb one acre or more of soil generally need coverage under the DEC's construction stormwater permit. If you're clearing for a building site, your builder or engineer should handle this.
Wetlands and streams: clearing in or near regulated wetlands or along streams can require a DEC permit. Check before you cut if the land is wet or borders water.
Building projects: if the clearing is part of construction, check with your town's codes office about site plan or permit requirements.
Debris: the Town of Manlius won't pick up lot-clearing waste, and you can't burn brush in towns over 20,000 people, including Manlius and DeWitt. Chipping and haul-away should be in the quote.

What it costs

Land clearing is priced by the job, not the tree. Acreage, how dense the growth is, the size of the trees, whether stumps get ground, and how much has to be hauled away all affect the price. The only way to get a real number is to walk the lot. Call (315) 687-8301 or send the form to set that up.

Source: NYS DEC, Stormwater Permit for Construction Activity.