Columbia, MO Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

The clearing or logging of existing trees four-inch DBH or greater by any means on tracts of land of one (1) acre or more shall be unlawful unless done in compliance with a land disturbance permit, logging permit, or tree preservation plan pursuant to chapter 12A of the City Code as applicable.

(2) A minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of any climax forest area on any tract of land, one acre in size or greater, is subject to the land preservation standards shown in section 29-4.4 (c)(1)(i)(d). When the tract of land includes a stream buffer, none of the required tree/land preservation shall be within the stream buffer. Trees retained will count toward screening requirements contained in section 24-4.4 (landscaping and screening).

(3) When logging is to occur prior to approval of a tree preservation plan or on property not otherwise subject to land disturbance requirements, a logging plan demonstrating compliance with tree preservation requirements must be submitted to the city arborist. This logging plan will include the area in square feet of forest land, the area in square feet of climax forest, and demonstrate that twenty-five (25) percent of the area of climax forest will be preserved after logging. Each logging operation on the same site will require a separate land disturbance permit. Under no circumstance shall successive logging remove greater than seventy-five (75) percent of the climax forest present upon the site before logging.

(4)