Chester County · PA · Estates & Conservation Properties division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Highland Township, PA
In Highland Township, timber harvesting is held to the 20 percent disturbance limit and restricted to selective cutting.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Highland Township, PA. In Highland Township, timber harvesting is held to the 20 percent disturbance limit and restricted to selective cutting, and permitted activities may disturb no more than 15 percent of very steep slopes. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Highland Township code says
Highland Township covers about 17.1 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 16 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.
Selective cutting only
The Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022) reads: “Timber harvesting shall only be permitted within the allowable twenty (20) percent disturbance limitation and shall be restricted to selective cutting.”
Source: Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022)
- 2.
15 percent of very steep slopes
The Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022) reads: “In no case shall these permitted activities disturb more than fifteen (15) percent of very steep slopes.”
Source: Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022)
- 3.
Riparian buffer up to 80 feet
The Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022) reads: “Where Zone One extends beyond thirty-five (35) feet due to the presence of very steep slopes, the width of Zone Two shall be adjusted so that the total riparian buffer width equals a maximum width of eighty (80) feet.”
Source: Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022)
- 4.
2,500 square feet of disturbance
The Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022) reads: “Groundwater Quantity Protection Strategies The following shall apply to any land use involving two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet or more of land disturbance.”
Source: Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022)
- 5.
Floodplain left undisturbed
The Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022) reads: “Resource Protection Standards Areas within the boundaries of the floodplain shall not be regraded, filled, built upon, channeled, or otherwise altered or disturbed except in conformance with Section 402, Flood Hazard District, of this Ordinance.”
Source: Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022)
Offices for a Highland Township site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Chester County Conservation District (Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control, NPDES) |
| Township or borough office | Highland Township office |
| State erosion and sediment rules | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 (DEP) |
Highland Township questions, answered
Does Highland Township regulate timber harvesting or tree removal?
Timber harvesting is held to the 20 percent disturbance limit and restricted to selective cutting.
Can steep slopes be cleared or graded in Highland Township?
Permitted activities may disturb no more than 15 percent of very steep slopes.
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 Highland 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 Highland 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 Highland 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 Highland 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 Highland Township, Chester County, PA?
In Highland Township, Chester County, PA, the township office is at 100 Five Points Road, Coatesville, and its site has Forms and Ordinances pages. Call (610) 857-1791 before you clear. As general guidance, Chapter 102 calls for a written erosion and sediment control plan at 5,000 square feet of earth disturbance and an NPDES permit at 1 acre or more. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Highland Township, Chester County, PA?
Burning rules in Pennsylvania are set by the municipality, and Huntly did not verify a local open-burning rule for Highland Township. Call the township before you light anything. Huntly's forestry mulching grinds brush where it stands and needs no burn permit. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What invasive plants take over land around Highland Township, PA?
Typical for Chester County: multiflora rose, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass. They crowd out pasture, fence lines and woodland edges around Highland Township, PA. Huntly clears thickets with a Cat 285XE forestry package on low-ground-pressure tracks, then treats regrowth as a separate line item if you want it. Herbicide, if used, goes through a licensed applicator and is quoted as a separate visible line.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in Highland Township, PA?
Possibly. As general guidance, landowners in Highland Township, PA can ask the USDA service center for Chester County about EQIP funding. NRCS sets the Pennsylvania rate per scenario and year and decides eligibility and approval; ask the district conservationist for the current figure. The Chester County Conservation District also helps landowners plan conservation practices. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Highland Township, PA, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Huntly works Highland Township, PA from its Chadds Ford base. The site walk is free, and every job is priced in writing after the walk at a fixed price. Longer hauls carry a mobilization line on the estimate. Call (484) 486-7272, Monday to Saturday 8 to 4, or email hello@huntlyland.com. Pennsylvania contractors must be registered as home improvement contractors with the Attorney General.
Who do I call for storm cleanup in Highland Township, PA?
Call Huntly's 24/7 storm line at (484) 486-7272 for downed trees blocking a lane, field or driveway in Highland Township, PA. Huntly's grapple clears and stacks the debris. If a tree is on a house or touching power lines, call a tree service or the utility first, then Huntly for the cleanup.
When is the Highland Township, PA office open?
Highland Township's site lists the office at 100 Five Points Road, Coatesville, open Wednesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM, phone (610) 857-1791. Its Forms and Ordinances pages are the place to look for local permit rules. With hours that short, call ahead before you plan clearing, then book Huntly's free site walk.
Where these facts come from
Sources: Highland Township Zoning Ordinance (as amended 2022) · 25 Pa. Code § 102.4, erosion and sediment control requirements
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Highland 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.