Linn County, IA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Linn County, IA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 10% of trees or 20 trees
- Tree size trigger
- 10-inch diameter or greater
- Applies in
- CNR Critical Natural Resources District
- Exempt
- diseased tree removal, habitat restoration
Summary
In Linn County's Critical Natural Resources District, removing more than 10 percent of a parcel's trees, or 20 trees ten inches or wider, needs an approved vegetative management plan.
(5)Vegetative management plan required. No more than ten percent of the trees or 20 trees of ten-inch or greater diameter, whichever is more, on any parcel may be removed without a written vegetative management plan that has been reviewed and approved. Parcels registered as forest reserve with the county assessor are subject to requirements under I.C.A. ch. 427. Approved diseased tree removal and habitat restoration projects are exempt.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Linn County Code § 107-142(i)(5) caps tree removal in the Critical Natural Resources District, the zoning that covers floodplains, steep slopes, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive land, at 10 percent of a parcel's trees or 20 trees of ten-inch-or-greater diameter, whichever is more, without a written, county-approved vegetative management plan describing the removal method, erosion controls, and re-vegetation. Land registered as a forest reserve follows Iowa Code chapter 427 instead. This district-specific rule doesn't reach ordinary residential lots outside the CNR district or trees inside Cedar Rapids and the county's other cities.
Violations & Fines
Clearing beyond the 10 percent/20-tree threshold in the CNR district without an approved vegetative management plan is a code violation that can trigger a stop-work order and required replanting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tree-removal rule apply to my whole property in Linn County?
What has to be in the vegetative management plan?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
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