Blaine, MN Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Blaine defines a "significant tree" as any live, healthy tree at least eight inches in diameter measured 4½ feet above the ground. Outside of construction, Sec. 129-9(b)(1) limits homeowners to removing two significant trees per year from privately owned land unless the zoning administrator has approved a forest management plan; trees that block traffic sightlines or power lines, or that threaten structures or sewer systems, are excluded from the cap. Removing more than two trees a year requires a forest management plan under Sec. 129-9(b)(2) detailing forested areas, existing structures and utilities, and the reason for the work, such as thinning diseased trees or improving wildlife habitat.

Whenever a lot is graded or built on, Sec. 129-9(a)(2) requires a tree preservation plan filed with any excavation, grading, building, conditional use, site plan or plat application, prepared by a registered architect, landscape architect or forester, inventorying every significant tree on site. Replacement follows Sec. 129-9(a)(3): on residential lots under one acre, the first seven trees removed must be replaced one-for-one, with two significant trees a year removable without any replacement; larger residential lots and nonresidential parcels are capped at eight replacement trees per acre, with replacement trees minimum 2½ inches in diameter (deciduous) or six feet tall (coniferous). The zoning administrator can instead require payment into the city's reforestation fund.