Jacksonville, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

City Code Chapter 15, Division on street and park trees, makes it unlawful to prune, treat, or remove any street tree or park tree within the city without first filing an application and obtaining a permit under Sec. 15-82. The city manager's office reviews the application and inspects the tree before deciding whether to issue the permit. A related rule, Sec. 15-78, separately bans "topping" any street or park tree, defined as cutting limbs back to stubs larger than two inches in diameter within the crown so as to remove the normal canopy and disfigure the tree, unless the tree is storm-damaged or interferes with utility wires.

Sec. 15-81 bars placing solvents, materials, construction machinery, or temporary soil deposits within six feet or two-thirds of the drip line of a street or park tree during construction. Sec. 15-83 lets the city manager waive these requirements during hurricanes, windstorms, floods, freezes, or other disasters when restoration work would otherwise be impeded, and Sec. 15-84 lets the city manager or designee vary or waive the terms of this division in writing on a showing of unreasonable hardship. Sec. 15-79 additionally requires stumps of street and park trees to be cut below ground level.

Sec. 15-85 only encourages, and does not require, developers to preserve trees during construction. All of these sections apply specifically to public street trees, park trees, and trees on public grounds; the code does not extend a permit requirement to trees on private property outside the public right of way.