Tree removal permit rules in Boulder County, CO — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Boulder County sets no general permit to remove trees on your own private, non-hazardous land. Removal for defensible space is encouraged, but larger forest-clearing may trigger Land Use Code review and Open Space trees are protected.
For everyday tree removal on private property in unincorporated Boulder County, no county tree-removal permit is required, unlike the incorporated City of Boulder. Removing dead, diseased or hazardous trees and thinning for wildfire mitigation is supported. However, extensive clearing tied to development or forestry uses is reviewed under the Boulder County Land Use Code, and trees on Boulder County Open Space, county road right-of-way, or in floodplains and protected areas are managed by the county and may not be cut by adjacent residents. Cities within the county have their own tree-protection ordinances that supersede this.
Unauthorized removal of protected right-of-way or Open Space trees, or clearing without required Land Use Code approval, can bring restoration orders and code penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Boulder County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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