Tree Protection in Sioux Falls, SD: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Sioux Falls or are thinking about moving there, tree protection are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Sioux Falls has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of tree protection, and some of them might surprise you.

Tree Removal Permits

Sioux Falls Chapter 94 (Forestry) regulates public and right-of-way trees. No permit is required to remove a tree on private property in residential zones, but Section 94.015 declares dead, diseased, or insect-infested trees a public nuisance, and the city may compel removal. Public trees, parkway/boulevard trees, and any work in the right-of-way require permission from the City Forester (Parks & Recreation Forestry Division). Trimming or removing ash trees inside the EAB quarantine area is prohibited between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Key details: Authority: Sioux Falls, SD Code Chapter 94 (Forestry). Permit on private property: Not required for healthy trees in standard residential zones. Nuisance trees: § 94.015 — dead, diseased, insect-infested trees can be ordered removed. Ash tree seasonal ban: No trimming/removal Memorial Day to Labor Day in EAB quarantine. Enforcement office: Parks & Recreation Forestry Division, 224 W 9th St.

Removing or topping a public/boulevard tree without permission, or violating the seasonal ash-tree work ban inside the EAB quarantine, is a municipal violation under Chapter 94. The City Forester may issue abatement orders for nuisance trees; failure to comply triggers court-ordered removal with costs assessed to the property tax bill (SDCL § 9-32 nuisance abatement authority). Unlicensed commercial arborist work on trees over 30 feet violates Sioux Falls' arborist licensing requirement.

Tree Replacement Requirements

Tree replacement is required under Zoning Code § 160.485 (Landscape Standards) for new development and major redevelopment: one shade tree per 50 feet of street frontage (or one tree per six parking spaces, whichever is greater), with deciduous shade trees at a minimum 2-inch caliper. The city also operates a Street Tree Voucher / CommuniTree Program offering $100 per approved replacement tree planted in the boulevard. There is no general 1-for-1 replacement mandate for healthy private trees removed outside of development.

Key details: Authority: Sioux Falls Code § 160.485 — Landscape Standards. Frontage rule: 1 shade tree per 50 ft of street frontage. Parking lot rule: 1 tree per 6 parking spaces (whichever is greater). Minimum caliper: 2 inches for deciduous shade trees. Evergreen cap: Up to 25% may be evergreen; not in vision areas.

Failure to install required landscape trees as part of a development plan delays or blocks Certificate of Occupancy. Code Enforcement (Planning & Development Services) inspects landscape installations against the approved site plan; replacement of dead landscape trees within a guarantee period (typically two growing seasons) is required.

Parkway Planting

Under Sioux Falls Code § 94.038, no person may plant a tree in the public right-of-way (the boulevard/parkway between the curb and sidewalk) without a Street Tree Planting Permit from the City Forester. Only species on the city's approved list may be planted, and no tree may be planted where the parking strip between curb and sidewalk is less than 5 feet wide. Property owners are responsible for maintaining the parkway trees fronting their property.

Key details: Authority: Sioux Falls Code § 94.038 — Planting in Public Rights-of-Way. Permit required: Street Tree Planting Permit from City Forester (free). Voucher: $100 per approved tree (CommuniTree / Street Tree Voucher). Minimum parking-strip width: 5 feet between curb and sidewalk. Approved species: City Forester's list only (hackberry, bur oak, honeylocust, etc.).

Planting in the ROW without a permit, planting a non-approved species, or planting in a parking strip less than 5 feet wide violates § 94.038 — the City Forester may order the tree removed at the property owner's expense. Damaging or removing a boulevard tree without authorization is a Chapter 94 violation. Failure to maintain sidewalk and street clearance can trigger code enforcement action under Chapter 96 (Streets and Sidewalks). Unlicensed commercial tree work over 30 feet violates the city's Arborist License requirement.

This is one of the stricter rules in Sioux Falls's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Heritage & Protected Trees

Sioux Falls does not have a formal heritage-tree or specimen-tree ordinance. No city designation of individual trees by size, age, or species triggers private-property removal restrictions. The city instead protects its tree canopy through the public/parkway-tree program (Chapter 94, administered by the City Forester) and through landscape requirements for new developments under Zoning § 160.485. South Dakota has no statewide heritage-tree statute.

Key details: Heritage tree ordinance: None — Sioux Falls has no specimen/landmark tree designation. Indirect protection: Landscape replacement density on developed parcels (§ 160.485). Public tree program: Forestry Division maintains citywide tree inventory & Tree Viewer. State law: No SD statewide heritage-tree statute. Private mature trees: May be removed at owner discretion (subject to nuisance rules).

Not applicable. There is no Sioux Falls ordinance prohibiting removal of a private healthy mature tree based on size, age, or species. Removal of a public/boulevard tree (which may include very large landmark trees) without City Forester authorization remains a Chapter 94 violation.

The rules around heritage & protected trees in Sioux Falls lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Protected Tree Species

Sioux Falls does not protect any tree species from removal on private property. Instead, the city regulates which species may be PLANTED in the public right-of-way (parkway/boulevard) under Chapter 94 and the City Forester's approved-species list. Certain species are effectively banned from the boulevard (notably new ash plantings, due to EAB) and from landscape compliance plantings. South Dakota's only state-level tree-pest authority is administered by DANR.

Key details: Private property: No species is protected from removal on private land. Boulevard plantings: § 94.038 — only approved species, by City Forester list. New ash plantings: Effectively prohibited in ROW due to EAB. Approved examples: Hackberry, bur oak, honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, DED-resistant elms. Typically excluded: Silver maple, boxelder, cottonwood, Siberian elm, Norway maple.

Planting a non-approved species in the parkway/boulevard violates § 94.038 — the city may order removal at owner expense. New ash plantings in the ROW are not permitted. Installing a non-listed species in a required landscape area may fail § 160.485 compliance and delay occupancy.

The rules around protected tree species in Sioux Falls lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Sioux Falls gives residents more room on tree protection. 2 of the 5 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

These rules come from Sioux Falls's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.