Cowlitz County, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

15 CCC is the Critical Areas Ordinance, covering wetlands, streams, and geologically hazardous areas and their buffers. 070 applies. Subsection (G)(2) exempts removal of a hazard or diseased tree from that full permit process, but only on conditions: planning clearance must be obtained from Cowlitz County before cutting, unless the hazard poses an imminent threat, danger, or serious environmental degradation; where the hazard is not obvious, the applicant must submit a report from a certified arborist, registered landscape architect, or professional forester documenting the hazard and a replanting schedule; cutting is limited to the minimum amount necessary to abate the hazard; nonnoxious cut wood must generally stay within the critical area or buffer unless disease or pest risk requires removal; and if the tree provides critical habitat for a federally or state protected species, a qualified wildlife biologist must be consulted on timing and method.

The replacement duty in subsection (G)(2)(e) requires two native replacement trees, at least a 15-gallon pot size or equivalent balled-and-burlapped stock and four feet tall, for every tree removed, planted within one year. Under (G)(2)(g), a landowner facing an imminent threat may remove or prune the tree before receiving clearance, but must submit a restoration plan within 60 days showing compliance with the critical areas title.