3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Bay County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Bay County requires a permit only to remove a protected oak (30-inch trunk) in the Urban or Suburban Service Area. Single-family homes are exempt, and pines are unprotected. Every tree is inspected before removal; the fee is $20.
Bay County, FL, Land Development Regulations § 1911.1
A "protected tree" is any Historic, Specimen, Champion or Heritage tree species of Quercus (common name: "oak"), with a diameter at breast height of thirty inches (30") or more.
Bay County protects historic, specimen, champion, and heritage trees, all oaks of 30-inch trunk diameter. Historic and specimen trees are designated by the County Commission at public hearing. Single-family homes are exempt.
Bay County, FL, Land Development Regulations § 1911(5)(d)
A heritage tree is any tree with a diameter of at least thirty inches (30") or more, as measured at 4.5 feet above ground or at the appropriate point on the trunk as indicated by accepted forestry standards.
Bay County's tree code is a preservation ordinance, not a replant one, so it sets no mandatory replacement ratio. Instead it minimizes protected-oak removal and can reward tree preservation with reduced parking requirements.
1 cities in Bay County have their own tree protection rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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