Tree Protection in Salt Lake City, UT

If you live in Salt Lake City or are thinking about moving there, tree protection are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Salt Lake City has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of tree protection, and some of them might surprise you.

Parkway Planting

Salt Lake City requires at least one street tree per park strip, with more added based on frontage length, and Urban Forestry Division approval before any planting, pruning, or removal.

Key details: Minimum trees: 1 street tree per park strip. Spacing rate: 1 small tree per 20 ft frontage. Turf: Prohibited in park strips. Approval: Urban Forestry Division required. Paving cap: 20% of park strip area.

Unauthorized landscape changes, including street tree work done without Urban Forestry Division approval, violate Title 21A and are subject to the fines and penalties set in Chapter 21A.20.

Protected Tree Species

Salt Lake City requires new development to preserve 'specimen trees', sound, healthy trees over 10 inches in trunk diameter, and replace or pay into the city's tree fund when the city forester allows removal.

Key details: Specimen tree threshold: over 10 inches dbh. Preservation standard: maximum extent practicable. Replacement rate: 2 caliper in. per dbh in. removed. Alternative: cash-in-lieu to city tree fund. Civil fine: $50-$200 per day, per violation.

Cutting, removing, pushing over, killing, or damaging a protected specimen tree, or compacting/paving/excavating its protection zone, violates § 21A.48.090. Title 21A civil enforcement (§ 21A.20.040) applies: fines accrue at $50/day per violation on residential property and $200/day on non-residential property until corrected.

Heritage & Protected Trees

Salt Lake City requires developers to preserve city forester-designated "specimen" trees on private land, fence off their root zones during construction, and replace or pay into the tree fund for any that must be removed.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 21A.48.090. Enforcing officials: City forester, zoning administrator. Replacement ratio: 2 caliper inches per inch removed. Protection fencing: 1 ft past drip line, before grading. Removal alternative: Cash-in-lieu payment to tree fund.

Enforced under the city's zoning and development enforcement code; the zoning administrator and city forester can require replanting, cash-in-lieu tree fund payments, and can pursue civil fines through the fines hearing officer for unauthorized removal or damage.

The Bottom Line

Salt Lake City's tree protection rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Salt Lake City is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Salt Lake City can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.