The Washington Post has a fascinating dispatch on local politics in Chevy Chase, Md., a suburb of Washington:
Many who wrote in Cecere's name say their town has become farcically overregulated, rendering the simplest home additions a months-long or even years-long struggle. A tree ordinance prescribes a six-month jail term or a $1,000 fine for a second offender caught cutting without a town permit.... Property owners seeking to cut down any tree 24 inches or larger in circumference must have a permit approved by the town arborist and town manager attesting that the tree is dead, dying or hazardous.
If turned down, residents can appeal to a Tree Ordinance Board, which applies a series of nine criteria to its decision, including the overall effect on the town's tree canopy, the "uniqueness" or "desirability" of the tree in question and the applicant's willingness to plant replacement trees.
Link via Mike Allen's Politico Playbook.