Tree Protection in Nassau County, FL (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Nassau County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Unincorporated Amelia Island's Land Development Code singles out large live oaks, forty inches or more in trunk diameter, as specimen trees. Removing one needs a separate Planning Department permit reviewed at a public Tree Commission hearing, and cutting one down without meeting the criteria can draw a fine of up to $15,000.
Specimen Live Oak Protection, Amelia Island
Significant RestrictionsNassau County Land Development Code § 37.02.E.2, U.10
Specimen trees are any existing healthy live oak as determined by an ISA-certified arborist approved by the Board of County Commissioners, measuring forty (40) inches or more in diameter at breast height, or, a multi-trunk live oak, as determined by an ISA-certified arborist with an aggregate measurement of sixty (60) inches or more in diameter at breast height. ... Specimen tree removal shall ...
Protected Tree Species
Unincorporated Amelia Island's tree ordinance protects trees by size and health, not by a fixed species list: any healthy tree five inches or more in diameter at breast height counts as protected, unless it is on Florida's Category I or II invasive plant list, which keeps species diversity intact across the island's maritime forest.
Protected Tree Species Rule, Amelia Island
Some RestrictionsNassau County Land Development Code § 37.02.A.8, E.1
The diversity of tree species indigenous to Amelia Island shall be maintained; ... A protected tree is any existing, healthy tree as determined by an ISA certified arborist approved by the Board of County Commissioners having a caliper of five (5) inch diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater, and not identified on the most recent Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant list (Categor...
Parkway Planting
Nassau County's tree planting program for unincorporated Amelia Island puts publicly held land first, prioritizing new trees in rights-of-way and on land owned by the county or the school board before it turns to partnerships with private landowners, funded in part by the Amelia Island Tree Fund.
Amelia Island Tree Planting Program
Light RestrictionsNassau County Land Development Code § 37.02.M.1, M.2.a
The NC-AITC may recommend to the Board of County Commissioners an unincorporated Nassau County Amelia Island Tree Planting Program. If approved, the program shall be evaluated and updated at a minimum every five (5) years. ... At a minimum, the tree planting program shall include, but is not limited to:a.As a priority, strategies for planting trees on publicly-held lands on the unincorporated a...
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