North Dakota
Tree Removal and Tree Service in North Dakota
North Dakota has fewer trees than almost any state, and a very large share of them are green ash. Emerald ash borer was confirmed here for the first time in 2024 and in Fargo in early 2026, which makes the next decade a busy one for anyone with ash in the yard or the shelterbelt.
Emerald ash borer has arrived
In August 2024 the North Dakota Department of Agriculture confirmed emerald ash borer in LaMoure County, north of Edgeley. It was the state's first detection. In January 2026 the insect was confirmed in Fargo.
Ash matters more here than in most places. Green ash is native along the rivers, was planted by the million in farm shelterbelts, and lines the streets of nearly every town. In some communities it accounts for a third or more of public trees.
The experience of states to the east is consistent: once the borer is established, untreated ash die within roughly a decade, and dead ash becomes brittle and hazardous within two years. Owners who decide early between treating and removing each tree spend less than those who wait.
The short list of North Dakota trees
- Green ash
- The most common planted tree. Now at risk statewide.
- American elm
- Still present in Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck thanks to long-running Dutch elm disease control programs.
- Cottonwood
- The giants along rivers and farmyards. Old ones shed limbs weighing a ton or more.
- Boxelder and silver maple
- Fast, weak-wooded and frequently storm-damaged.
- Bur oak
- Slow, native and durable. Worth preserving.
- Spruce and ponderosa pine
- Windbreak staples. Subject to needle diseases and winter burn.
City licensing, elm rules and the ash quarantine
North Dakota has no statewide arborist license. Cities fill the gap. Fargo requires a city license for any person or business paid to trim, treat or remove trees within city limits, and other cities have their own requirements.
Cities with Dutch elm disease programs can order the removal of infected elms on private property within a set time, and they regulate the storage of elm firewood with the bark on, because that is where the beetles breed.
The state agriculture department has quarantine authority over emerald ash borer. Rules limit moving ash wood, nursery stock and hardwood firewood out of regulated counties. If your tree company hauls ash, ask where it is going.
Weather that breaks North Dakota trees
| Hazard | Season | Typical damage |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-line wind and tornadoes | June through August | Snapped cottonwoods and boxelders, shelterbelt rows flattened |
| Ice | Late fall through early spring | A storm over Christmas 2023 coated the east and broke limbs across the Red River Valley |
| Heavy, late snow | April and October | Limb breakage when trees are in leaf or bud |
| Flooding | Spring | Prolonged high water, as in 1997, kills riverbank trees that then stand dead for years |
What is involved in taking out a shelterbelt
- Scale
- A belt may hold hundreds of trees. Pricing is by the row or acre, with heavy equipment in place of climbers.
- Dead ash and elm
- Often pushed out with an excavator and piled for burning, where local burn rules allow.
- What stays
- Sound spruce, juniper and bur oak rows are usually kept and the gaps replanted.
- Cost share
- Soil conservation districts and federal farm programs sometimes help pay for renovation. Ask before you start.
When is tree work done in North Dakota?
Year-round, with the cold months better than people expect. Frozen ground carries heavy equipment across yards and fields without ruts, and leafless trees are quicker to dismantle.
- Elms
- Prune only in the dormant season, to avoid attracting bark beetles.
- Ash
- Follow state guidance on when and where ash wood may be moved.
- Deep cold
- Hydraulic equipment and frozen wood behave differently below zero, so crews may postpone on the coldest days.
North Dakota tree service questions
Should I remove my ash tree now that emerald ash borer is in North Dakota?
Not automatically. A healthy ash can be protected with trunk injections, and state guidance is to begin treatment once the insect is known to be nearby. Poorly placed or declining ash are sensible to remove before they die.
Do tree services need a license in Fargo?
Yes. The city requires a license for anyone compensated for tree trimming, treatment or removal inside city limits.
Can the city make me remove an elm?
In cities with a Dutch elm disease ordinance, yes. An elm confirmed as infected must be removed within the period the city sets, to protect neighboring elms.
Is winter tree removal possible in North Dakota?
Yes, and it is often easier. Frozen ground protects lawns and fields. Only extreme cold or deep snow delays work.
Tree service in North Dakota, by phone
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