Outagamie County, WI Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Outagamie County, WI, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Buffer zone depth
- 35 ft inland of shoreline
- Viewing corridor width
- 35 ft per 100 ft frontage
- Applies to
- Unincorporated shoreland parcels
- Governing authority
- County zoning administrator
Summary
Cutting trees and shrubs within 35 feet of a navigable water's shoreline in unincorporated Outagamie County is restricted to a defined vegetative buffer zone, with removal allowed only for narrow viewing corridors and specific exceptions.
The county may allow removal of trees and shrubs in the vegetative buffer zone to create access and viewing corridors. Per § 59.692(1f)(b), Wis. Stats., the viewing corridor may be at least 35 feet wide for every 100 feet of shoreline frontage. The viewing corridor may run contiguously for the entire maximum width of shoreline frontage owned.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26).
Full Breakdown
Outagamie County designates the land from the ordinary high-water mark to 35 feet inland as a vegetative buffer zone and prohibits removing vegetation there except for listed activities. One allowed activity is cutting trees and shrubs to open an access or viewing corridor to the water, but the corridor is capped at 35 feet of width for every 100 feet of shoreline frontage the parcel owns, and it can run the full length of that frontage. Removal outside these listed exceptions is not permitted without county authorization.
Violations & Fines
Clearing beyond the permitted viewing-corridor width, or removing buffer-zone vegetation for reasons not listed in the ordinance, is a shoreland zoning violation enforceable by the county zoning administrator, with restoration or forfeiture as remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I clear my whole waterfront lot of trees in Outagamie County?
Does this rule apply inside Appleton or Kaukauna?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Outagamie County
Compare Outagamie County to another location·View the Wisconsin landscaping rules overview
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