Chester County · PA · Estates & Conservation Properties division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Charlestown Township, PA
In Charlestown Township, land disturbance over 2,500 square feet, or within five feet of a property line, needs an application and plan.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Charlestown Township, PA. In Charlestown Township, land disturbance over 2,500 square feet, or within five feet of a property line, needs an application and plan, and an erosion and sedimentation control plan is required for listed disturbances over 2,500 square feet even when no impervious surface is added. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Charlestown Township code says
Charlestown Township covers about 12.4 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 15 miles from our Chadds Ford base. These are the town rules that most often shape a clearing, mulching or grading scope here, quoted from the code itself.
- 1.
Disturbance over 2,500 square feet
Section 23-301 of the Chapter 23 Stormwater Management, Part 3 Performance Standards reads: “All land disturbances in excess of 2,500 square feet or within five feet of a property line, shall make application and submit a plan in accordance with § 23-305, Subsection 1, and this chapter.”
- 2.
Erosion plan even without new pavement
Section 23-305 of the Chapter 23 Stormwater Management, Part 3 Performance Standards reads: “An erosion and sedimentation control (stormwater management) plan is required for land disturbances listed in Table 23-301-1 which involve more than 2,500 square feet and add no new impervious surface.”
- 3.
Slopes of 15 percent or more
Section 23-302 of the Chapter 23 Stormwater Management, Part 3 Performance Standards reads: “Wherever erosive soils (as identified in the Soil Survey, Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania), slopes equal to or greater than 15%, unique topographical features, or other conditions, suggest substantial soil erosion potential during land disturbance, the Township may require that special sediment trapping facilities and additional measures be installed, as recommended by the Township Engineer.”
- 4.
50 feet from wetlands
Section 27-1618 of the Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 16 General Provisions reads: “Except as required otherwise under the Stream Valley restriction regulations of § 27-1612, no building shall be erected within 50 feet of any wetland to enable the regeneration of vegetation in order to enhance or create wetland and riparian forest buffers.”
Source: Charlestown Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 16 General Provisions, Section 27-1618
Offices for a Charlestown Township site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Chester County Conservation District (Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control, NPDES) |
| Township or borough office | Charlestown Township office |
| State erosion and sediment rules | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 (DEP) |
Charlestown Township questions, answered
Does Charlestown Township require a grading permit?
Land disturbance over 2,500 square feet, or within five feet of a property line, needs an application and plan (Section 23-301).
Can steep slopes be cleared or graded in Charlestown Township?
On slopes of 15 percent or more or erosive soils, the township may require special erosion measures (Section 23-302).
Cost, permits and the ground
Code summaries are general guidance, not legal advice; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each parcel before work.
What shapes the cost of land clearing in Charlestown Township, PA?
Density and stem size, ground and terrain, access and staging, finish standard, resource plan, stewardship and schedule. Haul-off of non-organic debris, stump grinding below grade, permits and licensed applications are quoted as separate visible lines. Every job is priced in writing after a private site walk, and the walk carries no charge inside the service region.
Do I need a permit for land clearing in Charlestown Township, PA?
Often. Pennsylvania requires a written erosion and sediment control plan for earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more (25 Pa. Code § 102.4), and the Chester County Conservation District reviews plans and NPDES coverage for larger disturbances. The Charlestown Township rules on this page come on top of that. Whether a mulching-only scope counts as earth disturbance is a question for the township and the district, and we confirm it for each parcel before work.
Is forestry mulching better than bulldozing?
For most brush and small-tree work, yes. Mulching leaves roots in the ground and a chip layer on the surface, so slopes stay put, stream-adjacent ground stays stable, and there are no burn piles or haul-off loads. A buildable surface, root-ball removal, grading or drainage work may call for a broader clearing or excavation plan.
More about Charlestown Township, Chester County, PA
Regulatory notes are general guidance; Huntly confirms the rules that apply to each site before work.
Who approves land clearing or earth disturbance in Charlestown Township?
The Chester County Conservation District reviews erosion and sediment plans under delegated authority. Its FAQ says disturbance over 5,000 square feet needs a written plan, and one acre or more needs a plan the District reviews, plus an NPDES permit. Charlestown Township has its own permits page. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Charlestown Township?
Mostly no. Charlestown Township's code, section 7-104, prohibits open fires except leaves and waste paper from a single-family home, recreational and cooking fires, and agricultural field fires under a Fire Marshal permit. Clearing brush piles is not on that list, and the Chester County 911 Center must be notified of permitted fires. Huntly's mulch-in-place method needs no burn permit. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What grows wild and takes over land around Charlestown Township?
Typical for Chester County: multiflora rose, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass. They fill fence lines, old pastures and woodland edges fast. Huntly's forestry mulcher clears the thickets, and the stumps and regrowth plan is quoted in writing after the site walk.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in Charlestown Township?
There can be. USDA NRCS EQIP, run through the Chester County USDA service center, cost-shares brush management by mechanical means for large shrubs (practice 314); the per-acre rate is set each year in the Pennsylvania payment schedule, so ask the district conservationist for the current figure. The Chester County Conservation District may also run programs. Eligibility and enrollment are set by those agencies, and Huntly does not file the application for you. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Charlestown Township, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Charlestown Township sits inside Huntly's Brandywine Valley service region, based in Chadds Ford. The site walk is free. After the walk, every job gets a fixed price in writing, with mobilization shown on the estimate if the haul is long. Call (484) 486-7272 or email hello@huntlyland.com. Hours are Mon to Sat 8 to 4.
Do I need a permit or special timing to cut trees in Charlestown Township?
As general guidance for Pennsylvania, tree cutting is commonly timed Oct 1 to Mar 31 to avoid roosting bats. Pennsylvania Chapter 102 sets a written erosion plan at 5,000 square feet of disturbance and an NPDES permit at one acre. Mulching often disturbs less soil than grading does. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What open space and trails are in Charlestown Township, PA?
Charlestown Township's site lists Charlestown Township Park, Brightside Farm and township trails, and says the Horse-Shoe Trail, maintained by the Horse Shoe Trail Conservancy, crosses the township. It reported just over 2,000 acres in Agricultural Security Areas as of 2013. Huntly clears trails and lanes on private land, and boundaries are confirmed on the site walk.
Who do I call in Charlestown Township after a storm knocks down trees?
Call Huntly's 24/7 storm line at (484) 486-7272 for downed trees blocking lanes, fields and fence lines. We clear with a grapple and low-ground-pressure tracks. If a tree is on a house or on power lines, call a tree service or the utility first; we handle the cleanup after.
Official site: charlestowntwp.org
Sources: chesco.org (ErosionStormwater) · chesco.org (Faq) · charlestowntwp.org · charlestowntwp.org (179) · ecode360.com (30841512) · dep.pa.gov (default) · nrcs-prod.azureedge.us (PA Bulletin 440 26 06 PA Published Cost List and Payment caps for FY 26) · attorneygeneral.gov (home improvement contractor registration)
Where these facts come from
Sources: Charlestown Township Code, Chapter 23 Stormwater Management, Part 3 Performance Standards, Section 23-301 · Charlestown Township Code, Chapter 27 Zoning, Part 16 General Provisions, Section 27-1618 · 25 Pa. Code § 102.4, erosion and sediment control requirements
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Charlestown Township can need a sediment and stormwater plan or a local approval. Start here:
Send us the details.
hello@huntlyland.comSend the town, rough acreage and two or three photographs. We reply by email with site-walk times, and a written scope follows the walk.
Office hours Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On call 24/7 for storm and emergency cleanup. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.