Annapolis, MD Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Annapolis City Code § 17.09.070 requires replacement trees whenever trees are removed for development, sized by diameter and location: a 4-to-12-inch tree removed outside the Critical Area needs only 1 replacement for every 2 removed, but inside an Intensely Developed Area the ratio flips to 2 replacements per tree removed, and trees over 24 inches DBH require 3-for-1 replacement outside the Critical Area. If on-site planting isn't practical and no off-site location can be agreed with the Department of Planning and Zoning, a fee-in-lieu, $1,250 per tree outside the Critical Area under the City's adopted fee schedule, funds the City's urban forestry program instead. Trees removed inside the Critical Area must be replaced within the Critical Area, and fees collected there stay within the same creek watershed. Roads, utilities, and confirmed hazardous or dying trees are exempt.