Salt Lake County, UT Environmental Rules: Grading & Drainage (2026)

Salt Lake County does not maintain a general heritage tree ordinance for interior residential lots, but significant tree protections exist in specific contexts. Street trees planted in public right-of-way or in park strips maintained by the County require a permit from Public Works before removal, replacement, or major pruning. Trees in the Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone established by Title 19 Chapter 19.72 are considered important community resources, and development in this overlay must minimize removal of mature native trees including Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, box elder, and riparian cottonwoods and willows. Site plans in the overlay must inventory trees above a specified caliper (typically 6 inches DBH) and indicate which will be preserved, with post-construction replacement required for unauthorized removals. Riparian tree corridors along the Jordan River and major creeks are additionally protected under stream corridor regulations which restrict vegetation removal within 50 to 100 feet of ordinary high water. On the flip side, the Utah Noxious Weed Act (Utah Code Title 4 Chapter 17) and the Salt Lake County Weed Control Department require property owners to control noxious weeds listed at the state and county level, including Russian olive, tamarisk (salt cedar), dyers woad, leafy spurge, and musk thistle, some of which are trees or large shrubs. The County Weed Board can issue abatement orders and charge costs to the property owner for non-compliance.