Arizona Native Plant Law and Tucson UDC protect saguaros, ironwoods, ocotillos, barrel cacti, and other native species. Removal or destruction during development requires ADA tagging and a Native Plant Preservation Plan. Mature saguaros must generally be transplanted rather than destroyed.
Tucson UDC requires Native Plant Preservation Ordinance compliance for subdivisions and commercial development. An NPPO plan inventories protected plants on site, identifies which can be preserved in place, transplanted, or destroyed, and posts a bond for replacement if destruction is approved. Private residential landowners cannot freely destroy saguaros even on their own developed property without ADA permits. Nurseries must sell tagged native plants that originated from permitted salvage operations.
Destroying a protected saguaro without permit can cost 1,000 to 10,000 dollars per plant plus replacement obligations. Development site violations may halt construction until the NPPO plan is corrected.
Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Tucson, AZ
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Pima County.
See how other cities in Pima County handle native plants.
See how Tucson's native plants rules stack up against other locations.
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