Vilnius expands protected tree list by 20,000 with higher compensation fees

Vilnius city council has added another 20,000 trees to its list of protected species subject to increased compensatory fees for removal, local public broadcaster LRT reports.

The decision, approved in late March, means property owners must now pay significantly higher compensation to the municipality if they obtain permission to cut down designated trees. According to Gintautas Runovičius, head of the city’s Environment Department, the adjusted fees “bring the amounts paid closer to the actual value these trees provide to the urban environment and residents.”

Following amendments to Lithuania’s Greenery Law in 2023, municipalities gained authority to set their own compensation rates for damaging or removing valuable trees. Vilnius has since expanded its protected list to over 160,000 trees citywide. Studies cited by the municipality suggest a single urban tree—factoring in ecosystem services and replacement costs—can be worth between several thousand and 10–20,000 euros or more.

Under current rates, removing a mature protected maple, for example, requires a compensation payment of 18,000 euros. These funds are allocated to planting new trees and maintaining existing green spaces.

The protected category includes mature specimens (with trunk diameters of at least 20 cm at 1.3 m height) of oak, ash, maple, elm, linden, birch, alder, poplar, pine, spruce, fir, larch, hornbeam, walnut, chestnut, wild apple, wild pear, ginkgo, and healthy, mature aspens. The ruling applies equally to trees on private properties, with over 700 landowners notified of updated compensation rates affecting their lots.

Permits for removing protected trees are granted only in exceptional cases and for compelling reasons, with compensation set at the tree’s full replacement value. Unauthorised removal or damage incurs a penalty ten times the standard rate—for instance, illegally felling the same maple would result in a 180,000 euro fine for environmental harm.

Fruit trees, invasive species (such as black locust or red oak), and trees in hazardous condition are exempt from compensation requirements, though property owners are asked to notify the municipality of planned work. An interactive map allows residents to check whether their property hosts protected trees subject to the new fees.