Delaware County · PA · Estates & Conservation Properties division
Forestry mulching and land clearing in Upper Providence Township, PA
In Upper Providence Township, no more than 30 percent of steeply sloped areas in the Steep Slope Conservation District may be cleared, graded or stripped of vegetation.
Yes. Huntly Land Co. works in Upper Providence Township, PA. In Upper Providence Township, no more than 30 percent of steeply sloped areas in the Steep Slope Conservation District may be cleared, graded or stripped of vegetation, and the riparian buffer covers 100 feet from top of bank or the 100-year floodplain, whichever is greater. Every job starts with a private site walk.
What the Upper Providence Township code says
Upper Providence Township covers about 5.6 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.
30 percent of steep slopes
The Chapter 1266 Steep Slope Conservation Overlay District (1266.01 to 1266.10) reads: “396, passed 5-25-2005 ] In the Steep Slope Conservation District, the following standards shall apply: (a) No more than 30% of the steeply sloped areas shall be disturbed, developed, cleared, graded, regraded or stripped of vegetation.”
- 2.
100 feet or the floodplain
The Chapter 1214 Stormwater Management; Erosion and Sedimentation Control (1214.01 to 1214.99) reads: “A riparian buffer is comprised of the area measured within 100 feet of the annual mean high water edge (top of bank) or to the limit of the one-hundred-year flood plain, whichever distance is greater.”
- 3.
Logging on slopes over 25 percent
The Chapter 1214 Stormwater Management; Erosion and Sedimentation Control (1214.01 to 1214.99) reads: “On slopes exceeding 25%, logging and wood-cutting shall be by specific approval of the Township Council and shall be limited to a highly selected removal of trees.”
- 4.
Buffer required on new projects
The Chapter 1054 Stormwater Management (1054.01 to 1054.55), Article III Stormwater Management reads: “Except as required by Chapter 102, if a perennial or intermittent stream passes through, or a water body (i.e., lake, pond, wetland) is present on the site, the applicant shall create a riparian buffer extending a minimum of 100 feet to either side of the top-of-bank of the channel, lake, or wetland.”
Offices for a Upper Providence Township site
| Question | Office |
|---|---|
| Sediment and stormwater / erosion review | Delaware County Conservation District (Chapter 102 erosion and sediment control, NPDES) |
| Township or borough office | Upper Providence Township office |
| State erosion and sediment rules | 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102 (DEP) |
Upper Providence Township questions, answered
Can steep slopes be cleared or graded in Upper Providence Township?
No more than 30 percent of steeply sloped areas in the Steep Slope Conservation District may be cleared, graded or stripped of vegetation.
Is there a stream buffer rule in Upper Providence Township?
The riparian buffer covers 100 feet from top of bank or the 100-year floodplain, whichever is greater.
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 Upper Providence 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 Upper Providence 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 Delaware County Conservation District reviews plans and NPDES coverage for larger disturbances. The Upper Providence 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 Upper Providence Township, 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 Upper Providence Township, PA?
Start with the Upper Providence Township office for local zoning and permits. Pennsylvania Chapter 102 sets a written erosion and sediment control plan at 5,000 square feet of earth disturbance and an NPDES permit at 1 acre or more. As general guidance, mulching in place often disturbs little soil. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Can I burn brush piles in Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, PA?
Burning rules in Pennsylvania are set by the municipality, so check with Upper Providence Township before lighting anything. Huntly's mulch-in-place method needs no burn permit because the brush is ground up on the spot by forestry mulching instead of piled and burned. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
What grows wild and takes over land around Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, PA?
Typical for Delaware County: multiflora rose, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and Japanese stiltgrass. These crowd out pasture, fence lines and woodland edges around Upper Providence Township. Huntly clears them with a drum mulcher and quotes any follow-up herbicide by a licensed applicator as a separate visible line.
Is there cost-share money for clearing invasives in Upper Providence Township, PA?
Often, yes. As general guidance, landowners can ask the local USDA service center about NRCS EQIP. Pennsylvania's EQIP list covers brush management (practice 314, mechanical, large shrubs); the per-acre rate is set each year, so ask the district conservationist for the current figure. Eligibility, practice rules and sign-up dates apply, and enrollment comes before work starts. Huntly confirms the rule that applies to each site before work.
Does Huntly serve Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, PA, and what does a site walk cost?
Yes, Upper Providence Township is inside Huntly's service region. The site walk is free, and every job is priced in writing after the walk. Mobilization is quoted on the estimate for long hauls. Call (484) 486-7272 or email hello@huntlyland.com.
Who do I call after a storm in Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, PA?
Call Huntly's 24/7 storm line at (484) 486-7272 for downed trees across lanes, fields and fence lines. We clear with a grapple and a Cat 285XE. If a tree is on a house, a power line or other structure, call a tree service or the utility first, then us for the cleanup.
Official site: upperprovidence.org
Sources: dep.pa.gov (default) · upperprovidence.org · upperprovidence.org (Subdivision Land Development) · 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: Upper Providence Township Code, Chapter 1266 Steep Slope Conservation Overlay District (1266.01 to 1266.10) · Upper Providence Township Code, Chapter 1214 Stormwater Management; Erosion and Sedimentation Control (1214.01 to 1214.99) · Upper Providence Township Code, Chapter 1054 Stormwater Management (1054.01 to 1054.55), Article III Stormwater Management · 25 Pa. Code § 102.4, erosion and sediment control requirements
Last checked: October 2026.
Permits and rules
Clearing in Upper Providence 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.