Tree removal permit rules in Kennewick, WA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Kennewick does not require a city permit to remove a tree on private property, with three exceptions: trees in the public right-of-way, trees inside an approved KMC 18.21 landscape plan for development, and trees inside a critical area under KMC 18.58.
The Kennewick Municipal Code does not contain a stand-alone private tree removal permit chapter. Healthy or dead trees on a private residential lot outside a critical area can be removed without city approval. Three exceptions apply. First, trees in the public right-of-way fall under KMC Title 5 and the city's ROW permit program, where only bonded contractors may work and a separate permit is required. Second, trees installed to satisfy KMC 18.21 (Landscaping) on a developed commercial, multi-family, or subdivided site are part of the approved landscape plan and may not be removed without replacement. Third, KMC 18.58 (Critical Areas) restricts tree work in shoreline, riparian, and steep-slope critical areas, with the Shoreline Master Program echoing WAC chapter 173-26. RCW 76.09 (Forest Practices Act) generally does not reach single-family lots inside incorporated city limits.
Removing a tree in the right-of-way without an ROW permit and a bonded contractor is a Title 5 violation. Removing a tree from an approved 18.21 landscape plan without replacement breaches the site plan. Tree cutting in a KMC 18.58 critical area can trigger SEPA and restoration orders.
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See how Kennewick's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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