Kootenai County, ID Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Canopy cover cap
- under 50% near building sites
- Required
- lower branches pruned
- Required
- ground kept clear of debris
- Required
- ladder fuels, dead/dying trees removed
- Exception
- non-hazardous snags may stay
- Preparer
- professional forester, certified as implemented
Summary
Wildfire mitigation plans required for timbered subdivisions in unincorporated Kootenai County must include a real vegetation-clearance plan, not just a map. Land Use and Development Code section 8.6.901(B)(3) caps canopy cover near proposed building sites at fifty percent, requires pruned lower branches and a debris-free ground surface, and requires removal of ladder fuels and dead or dying trees, while non-hazardous snags can stay for wildlife.
3. Short and long term plans for eliminating dangerous vegetative and fuel conditions in and around proposed building sites. Canopy cover in these areas should be less than fifty percent (50%), lower branches should be pruned, the ground should be relatively free of debris, and ladder fuels and dead and dying trees must be removed. Snags that do not present a fire hazard should, however, be left standing to provide habitat for birds and wildlife.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Code current through: Ord. 633, passed December 23, 2025).
Full Breakdown
905(A)(5) when a site lies within timber. 901(B), must lay out short and long-term steps for eliminating dangerous vegetative and fuel conditions around proposed building sites: canopy cover below fifty percent, pruned lower branches, ground relatively free of debris, and removal of ladder fuels plus dead and dying trees, while snags that pose no fire hazard can be left standing for bird and wildlife habitat. The same report has to address whether power lines serving the site are underground, and if they are not, include a schedule for routine trimming of overhanging limbs and removal of ground debris beneath the lines.
A professional forester must prepare the plan and certify to the county that it has actually been carried out on the ground before the plat receives final approval. 603.
Violations & Fines
Falling short of the canopy, pruning, or debris-removal standards keeps the forester from certifying the plan, which blocks final plat approval under section 8.6.206(A)(7). If the vegetation conditions later lapse on an approved site, general title 8 enforcement applies: misdemeanor charges under section 1-4-1 and a civil penalty up to $1,000 per incident per day, capped at $20,000 per incident, under section 8.8.603.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to clear brush on my own lot in Kootenai County?
How much canopy cover can I leave near my house?
Can I leave dead trees standing for wildlife?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kootenai County
Compare Kootenai County to another location·View the Idaho fire regulations overview
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