Lynnwood, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

LMC 17.15.100 makes it unlawful to remove a tree in Lynnwood without a valid tree removal permit, except as exempted by LMC 17.15.150. Applicants submit the elements required by LMC 2.44.080, and the city can require an arborist's report at the applicant's expense; a permit expires 12 months after issuance or upon completion of the development activity, whichever is longer, and can be revoked for incorrect information or violations. A 'significant tree' is any tree at least six inches in diameter at breast height that is not on the exempt species list, which covers black locust, cottonwood, native alder, native willow, and Lombardy poplar (LMC 17.15.080).

Removing significant trees on a developed single-family lot under 16,000 square feet generally qualifies for a Class I permit, approved immediately if no more than two trees or 40 percent of significant trees are removed in a calendar year (LMC 17.15.110); all other sites need a Class II permit, which can require a bond of at least 125 percent of replacement cost for at least three years (LMC 17.15.120). Replacement is calculated in tree units under LMC 17.15.090: one unit for trees 6 to 10 inches D.B.H., two units for 10.1 to 18 inches, three units for 18.1 to 36 inches, and four units for anything over 36 inches, with each unit equal to one replacement tree.

Permit exemptions under LMC 17.15.150 cover commercial nurseries and Christmas tree farms, rights-of-way work by a public agency, utility line clearance under state safety rules, dead or diseased trees (unless killed deliberately or through construction negligence), and trees that are an immediate hazard to life or property.