It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?

这是我树,为何我不能砍伐它?

Planet Money

2026-06-13

25 分钟
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Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing a tree now requires a permit. You might have to pay a fee, or promise to plant replacement trees. But sometimes, the city won't let you cut down the tree at all, even a tree in your own backyard. That's because trees are important for air quality, for flood control, and for public health. They help keep neighborhoods cool on hot days. But some think that tree protection laws have gone too far — that they might even be unconstitutional. On today's episode, it's the latest showdown between property rights and local zoning laws. Typically, towns and cities enjoy a lot of power when it comes to zoning and permits. They can ban certain types of buildings. They can make you paint your house a certain color. But can they make it illegal to cut down a tree? And what does it mean to "own" a piece of property anyway? Support:Planet Money+ Read:  Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletter Follow:  InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode of Planet Money was hosted by Jeff Guo and Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by James Sneed and Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang, and fact-checked by Vito Emanuel. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
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  • The day that Sarah Bond finally became a homeowner, she had almost given up.

  • It was 2021, the housing market was red hot, she and her husband Joel kept getting outbid.

  • They were starting to think maybe their family would never have a place they could make their own,

  • a place where she and Joel could plant blueberry bushes,

  • a place where their daughter JoJo could raise baby ducks and chickens.

  • Then she got a call from her realtor.

  • She left a voicemail and she said congratulations and I was like, what?

  • And it started like.

  • I was like, no way.

  • And I told my husband, he was like, are you serious?

  • Are you kidding?

  • The house that was now their house was white with black trim, two stories tall.

  • It was nicer than she ever thought she could afford.

  • And it was located in their dream neighborhood on a tree lined street in Southwest Portland.

  • She remembers when they first went to visit the area.