Bernalillo County, NM Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Bernalillo County, NM, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Citation
- Bernalillo County Code § 58-57(b)(24)
- Scope
- County-managed open space, unincorporated area
- Penalty
- Up to $300 fine, 90 days jail
- Enforced by
- Parks & Recreation Dept. and Sheriff's Office
- Excludes
- Private yards and City of Albuquerque
Summary
On county-managed open space, removing, damaging, or destroying any tree or other vegetation is banned outright under the Open Space Management Ordinance unless the county authorizes it through a lease, concession, or permit.
No person shall collect, remove, disturb, deface, graffiti, damage or destroy any natural resource, including, but not limited to, all live and dead vegetation and all parts thereof; landscaping materials; soil, rocks or any other earthen material; minerals or other articles or artifacts of geological interest or value in any open space.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
Section 58-57(b)(24) of the Bernalillo County Open Space Management Ordinance bars collecting, removing, disturbing, defacing, damaging, or destroying any natural resource on county open space, expressly including all live and dead vegetation, such as trees and shrubs, and landscaping materials. The rule reaches only land the Bernalillo County Parks and Recreation Department manages as open space in the unincorporated county (Sec. 58-47): it does not touch private yards, and it does not apply inside Albuquerque, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, or Tijeras, which run their own codes. The Parks and Recreation Department and the Sheriff's Office enforce it.
Violations & Fines
Cutting, damaging, or removing a tree or other vegetation on county open space without written authorization; punishable under the Sec. 1-6 general penalty of up to a $300 fine, 90 days in jail, or both, per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trim trees on Bernalillo County open space land?
Does this rule apply to trees in my own yard?
Does this apply inside Albuquerque?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bernalillo County
Compare Bernalillo County to another location·View the New Mexico landscaping rules overview
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