Delaware County · PA · Estates & Conservation Properties division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Media, PA
In Media, in the Slope Conservation District, vegetative ground cover may be disturbed on no more than 5 percent of very steep slopes and 15 percent of steep slopes.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Media, PA. In Media, in the Slope Conservation District, vegetative ground cover may be disturbed on no more than 5 percent of very steep slopes and 15 percent of steep slopes, and no one may cut, injure or remove a shade tree, or interfere with its main roots, without a permit. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Media code says
Media covers about 0.76 square miles of land (US Census), roughly 11 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.
Ground cover limits on slopes
The Chapter 311 Zoning, Article D-IV Steep Slope Conservation Overlay District reads: “Except as provided in Subsection B hereof, no person shall directly or indirectly disturb vegetative ground cover on more than the following percentages of each classification of land within the Slope Conservation District of the property for which zoning relief or approvals as a special exception are required when taken as a whole: Slope Classification Maximum Permissible Disturbance Area Very steep slope 5% Steep slope 15%”
Source: Media Borough Code, Chapter 311 Zoning, Article D-IV Steep Slope Conservation Overlay District
- 2.
Shade tree permit
Section 81-6 of the Chapter 81 Shade Tree Commission reads: “No person shall, without first obtaining a permit therefor, cut, break, climb with spurs, injure in any manner or remove any shade tree or cut down or interfere in any way with the main roots of any shade tree”
Source: Media Borough Code, Chapter 81 Shade Tree Commission, Section 81-6
- 3.
Caliper-for-caliper replacement
The Chapter 311 Zoning, Article B-XIV Landscaping Standards reads: “The total caliper of all replacement trees shall be no less than the total caliper of all trees removed from the lot.”
Source: Media Borough Code, Chapter 311 Zoning, Article B-XIV Landscaping Standards
- 4.
50-foot riparian buffer
Section 251-24 of the Chapter 251 Stormwater Management, Article III Stormwater Management reads: “Except as required by Chapter 102, if a perennial or intermittent stream passes through, or a waterbody (i.e., lake, pond, wetland) is present on the site, the applicant shall create a riparian buffer extending a minimum of 50 feet to either side of the top-of-bank of the channel, lake, or wetland.”
Offices for a Media site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Delaware County Conservation District (Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control, NPDES) |
| Township or borough office | Media Borough office |
| State erosion and sediment rules | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 (DEP) |
Media questions, answered
Can steep slopes be cleared or graded in Media?
In the Slope Conservation District, vegetative ground cover may be disturbed on no more than 5 percent of very steep slopes and 15 percent of steep slopes.
Does Media regulate timber harvesting or tree removal?
No one may cut, injure or remove a shade tree, or interfere with its main roots, without a permit (Section 81-6).
Nearby pages
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 Media, 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 Media, 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 Delaware County Conservation District reviews plans and NPDES coverage for larger disturbances. The Media 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 Media Borough, Delaware 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 Media Borough, Delaware County, PA?
In Media Borough, Delaware County, PA, the borough's Permits page lists building, demolition, highway occupancy and street opening applications but no clearing permit. Call the borough at 610-566-5210 about tree removal or grading. As general guidance, the Delaware County Conservation District administers Chapter 102 under a delegation agreement with PA DEP, and permits are required for earth disturbance of one acre or more. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Media Borough, Delaware County, PA?
Burning rules in Pennsylvania are set by the municipality, and Huntly did not verify a local open-burning rule for Media. Call the borough 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 Media, PA?
Typical for Delaware County: multiflora rose, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass. They crowd out pasture, fence lines and woodland edges around Media, 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 Media, PA?
Possibly. As general guidance, landowners in Media, PA can ask the USDA service center serving Delaware 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 Delaware County Conservation District is also worth a call about local programs. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Media, PA, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes. Huntly works Media, 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 Media, PA?
Call Huntly's 24/7 storm line at (484) 486-7272 for downed trees blocking a lane, field or driveway in Media, 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.
Does Media Borough, PA have a public works department?
Yes. Media Borough's site has a Public Works page and a fall leaf collection schedule. For a storm-blocked borough street, call the borough at 610-566-5210. On private ground, Huntly's grapple clears and stacks the debris once the road is open.
Where these facts come from
Sources: Media Borough Code, Chapter 311 Zoning, Article D-IV Steep Slope Conservation Overlay District · Media Borough Code, Chapter 81 Shade Tree Commission, Section 81-6 · Media Borough Code, Chapter 311 Zoning, Article B-XIV Landscaping Standards · Media Borough Code, Chapter 251 Stormwater Management, Article III Stormwater Management, Section 251-24 · 25 Pa. Code § 102.4, erosion and sediment control requirements
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Media 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.