Tree removal permit rules in Johnson County, IA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
You may remove trees on your own property anywhere in Johnson County without a county permit. Iowa has no statewide tree law. Only the cities' public right-of-way trees, like Iowa City's, are off-limits to residents.
Iowa enacts no private-tree-protection law, and Johnson County's unincorporated zoning does not require a permit to remove trees in your yard, so an owner near Solon, Tiffin, or the rural townships may clear even large oaks. The trees the public controls are the street trees in the right-of-way between sidewalk and curb; in Iowa City the Forestry Division decides whether those come down and notifies the adjacent owner. The University of Iowa manages its campus trees. Emerald ash borer has forced widespread ash removal across the county, and dead or hazardous ash on private land can be taken down without asking anyone.
None from the county for removing your own trees. Taking down an Iowa City right-of-way tree without Forestry authorization violates city code. Work in a floodway near the Iowa River may need a separate DNR permit.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Johnson County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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