Tree removal permit rules in Whatcom County, WA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Removing a tree in Whatcom depends on where you are. On an existing rural home lot, county rules are light, but the City of Bellingham requires tree retention on development, and critical areas and the Lake Whatcom watershed add protection.
There is no statewide law forcing a homeowner to keep a yard tree, and on an established single-family lot in unincorporated Whatcom County removal is generally unregulated apart from critical areas, shorelines, and the Lake Whatcom watershed. The picture changes with development and inside the City of Bellingham, where BMC Chapter 16.60 (Land Clearing) requires a tree retention plan for significant trees when a site is cleared or built on. Street trees in the public right-of-way are city-managed and cannot be removed by residents. Cutting protected or landmark trees without approval triggers fines and replacement.
None on an ordinary rural lot for your own tree. Removing significant trees on a Bellingham development site without an approved retention plan, or damaging a street tree, brings fines and required replacement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Whatcom County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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