Grand Junction, CO Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Grand Junction, CO, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Minimum preservation
- At least 30% of significant trees preserved
- Significant tree threshold
- 15 inches or larger in DBH
- Replacement ratio (at minimum)
- 3 caliper inches per 5 inches DBH removed
- Replacement ratio (above minimum)
- 1 caliper inch per 3 inches DBH
- Construction protection
- Temporary fence 5 feet outside tree dripline
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or one year jail
Summary
In the City of Grand Junction, new development on lots over one acre (and all lots in the MU-3 district) must preserve at least 30% of the 'significant' trees on site, defined as healthy trees 15 inches or larger in DBH. A developer may only remove significant trees when preservation is not viable, and removal triggers mandatory replacement under GJMC § 21.07.040.
(c) All trees, except those identified as 'excluded' on the Suitable Plants List, that meet all of the following criteria as determined by a certified arborist shall be considered significant: (1) Are 15 inches or larger in DBH; ... (d) Preservation Required. (1) Where significant trees exist on a property, at least one and no less than 30% of significant trees shall be preserved during development. ... (4) If the provisions in Subsections (d)(2) and (3) do not provide a viable means of development the site with the preservation of the minimum required significant trees then, at the developer's discretion, the developer may remove significant trees present on the site. Tree replacement shall be required for all significant trees removed on a property at the following ratios: ... (g) Features to be preserved shall be protected throughout site development. No person shall kill or damage a landscape feature required to be preserved by this section.
Full Breakdown
GJMC § 21.07.040 governs when significant trees can be removed during development in the City of Grand Junction. The section applies to new residential, mixed-use, and commercial development and to redevelopment: preservation is mandatory on every lot in the MU-3 zone district and on any redevelopment lot larger than one acre in other districts, while industrial-zoned development is exempt entirely. A tree counts as 'significant' under subsection (c) only if a certified arborist confirms it is 15 inches or larger in diameter at breast height, in fair or better condition, free of irreparable structural defects, and not infested with disease or pestilence, unless the species is marked 'excluded' on the Suitable Plants List.
Where significant trees exist, subsection (d)(1) requires at least one tree, and no less than 30% of them, to be preserved, either on individual lots, in private common areas, or on land dedicated for public use. If the 30% requirement blocks the planned development, subsection (d)(2) lets the Director grant a 10% adjustment to setbacks, lot size, interior parking landscaping, or parking counts, or allow cluster development, and the City Forester can further relax the drip-line protection standard under (d)(3). Only if those adjustments still do not make the site workable may the developer choose, under (d)(4), to remove the significant trees, but removal is not free: Table 21.07-3 requires 3 caliper inches of replacement tree per 5 inches of DBH removed at the 30% minimum level, or 1 caliper inch per 3 inches of DBH above that minimum, with the same 3-per-5 ratio for trees killed or damaged during construction.
A developer who cannot fit replacement trees on-site may instead pay a fee-in-lieu under subsection (f). During construction, subsection (g) requires a temporary fence at least five feet outside the drip line of every preserved tree, bars parking or material storage inside that fenced area, and states that no person shall kill or damage a tree required to be preserved.
Violations & Fines
Killing or damaging a tree required to be preserved, or removing a significant tree without following the § 21.07.040(d) sequence, is a Code violation. The Director enforces it under GJMC § 21.13.030 and § 21.13.070, issuing written notice with a 10-day cure period before further action. An uncorrected violation is a misdemeanor under § 21.13.060: a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both, per violation, and failure to replace required plant material is separately enforceable in Municipal Court under § 21.13.080.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many trees must a Grand Junction development preserve?
What makes a tree 'significant' under Grand Junction's code?
Can a developer remove significant trees instead of preserving them?
What protects a preserved tree during construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Junction
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