Tacoma's Tree Protection: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles tree protection a little differently. In Tacoma, Washington, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.
Parkway Planting
Tacoma requires a City street tree permit before anyone plants a tree in the planting strip or other public right-of-way, under the 2023 Urban Forestry code, TMC § 9.20.230.
Key details: Permit required: Before planting any street tree. Who can apply: Abutting owner, utility, or City. Species: Must be from Urban Forest Manual list. Max penalty: $10,000/day per violation.
Planting a street tree without a permit, or outside its terms, is unlawful under § 9.20.230C and is enforceable as a chapter violation, carrying penalties up to $10,000 per day under § 9.20.520.
Heritage & Protected Trees
Tacoma's Heritage Tree Program lets a property owner, or a resident with the owner's consent, nominate an exceptionally large, old, or historic tree for City designation. Qualifying trees need a trunk at least 30 inches in diameter, or 65 percent of the state record for that species.
Key details: Min trunk diameter: 30 in. DBH, or 65% of record. Who reviews nominations: Urban Forestry Program Section. Who may nominate: owner, or resident with owner consent. Registry: public list; plaques on public trees. Applies to: trees within Tacoma city limits.
This is a recognition program, not a removal ban: nominating or skipping a tree carries no penalty. Removal restrictions apply only to designated public-property heritage trees, covered separately under TMC § 9.20.460.
The rules around heritage & protected trees in Tacoma lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Protected Tree Species
Inside Tacoma's designated Biodiversity Areas, a conifer over 30 inches DBH or a madrone over 12 inches DBH counts as an 'exceptional tree' that development must retain; removing one requires replacement planting at double the normal mitigation ratio.
Key details: Conifer threshold: greater than 30 inches DBH. Madrone threshold: greater than 12 inches DBH. Onsite mitigation ratio: 2:1 replacement planting. Offsite mitigation ratio: 4:1 replacement planting. Applies within: designated Biodiversity Areas only.
A project that removes exceptional trees without meeting these retention and mitigation standards can be denied Minor Development review and pushed into full Development Permit review under TMC § 13.11.550E.
The Bottom Line
Tacoma'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 Tacoma is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Tacoma 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.