Lewis County, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Lewis County, WA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Significant tree threshold
- 24 inches diameter at breast height
- Where it applies
- Within or overhanging county road right-of-way
- Approval required from
- Lewis County engineer, prior written approval
- Emergency exception
- Allowed under LCC § 12.20.310
- Maximum criminal penalty
- $5,000 fine and/or 1 year jail
- Governing chapter
- LCC Chapter 12.20, Utility Installations
Summary
In unincorporated Lewis County, a "significant tree" is any healthy tree 24 inches or more in diameter at breast height standing within or overhanging a county road right-of-way. Lewis County Code § 12.20.270 bars removing, topping, or otherwise impacting one without prior written approval from the county engineer, except during a genuine emergency.
"Significant Tree" means a healthy tree (i.e., a tree that does not have a high probability of falling due to a debilitating disease or a structural defect) twenty-four inches in diameter at breast height (four and one-half feet above grade) located within the county rights-of-way or overhanging the rights-of-way. ... Significant trees shall not be impacted (e.g., tree removal, topping, locating above ground and underground facilities within the drip line) without prior approval by the engineer, except during emergency situations as described in Section 12.20.310. ... Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be seemed guilty of a gross misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each person, firm or corporation found guilty of a violation shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for every day during any portion of which any violation of any provision of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by such person, firm or corporation.
Full Breakdown
20 of the Lewis County Code governs utility installations and other work within county road rights-of-way. 5 feet above grade) and is located within the county right-of-way or overhangs it. 310, which let a permittee act first and notify the engineer as soon as practicable. Subsection (2) directs that other healthy trees that do not pose a hazard should be retained "to the extent possible," with sound, arboriculturally correct pruning practiced on any that remain. 270(3). Because this significant-tree protection sits inside the utility-installation chapter, it binds anyone doing work that affects the county road right-of-way, whether a utility permittee or another party, rather than functioning as a blanket permit requirement for tree removal on private property away from county roads.
Violations & Fines
Impacting a significant tree without the county engineer's prior approval violates Chapter 12.20. Under LCC § 12.20.370, a violator is guilty of a gross misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. The chapter also authorizes civil penalties under LCC § 1.20.040, and the county engineer or director may seek an injunction to stop or abate the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lewis County require a permit to remove a large tree on my property?
What happens if I remove a protected tree without approval?
Can I remove a significant tree during an emergency without waiting for approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
Compare Lewis County to another location·View the Washington landscaping rules overview
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