Port Townsend, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Port Townsend, WA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Replacement deadline
- 180 days after removal
- Standard
- Equivalent tree density units
- ROW ratio
- 2 trees per 1 removed
- Preferred planting window
- Oct 1 – Mar 1
Summary
Dead or dying trees under an approved tree conservation plan must be replaced within 180 days with an equivalent tree.
Dead or dying trees shall be replaced within 180 days of removal with a healthy tree meeting the requirements of PTMC 19.06.130. The tree density units provided by the replacement trees shall be equivalent to that provided by the trees being replaced. The preferred planting time for replacement trees is October 1st through March 1st. Tree replacement during the summer months (June 15th through August 31st) should be avoided unless supplemental irrigation is available.
3. Pruning of trees shall be limited to limbing and crown thinning. Topping shall be treated the same as removal of the tree.
B. Single-Family Residential Development. Once the home is constructed and all trees planted per the tree conservation plan, future landscape maintenance activities are subject to the provisions of Article II, including the exemptions for single-family residentially developed lots.
C. Three-Year Maintenance Agreement. As a condition of final approval, the following project permit approvals shall demonstrate that a minimum three-year maintenance agreement exists with a commercial landscape care company, or other entity approved by the PCD director, addressing the following:
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Port Townsend requires commercial, mixed-use, public, and multifamily projects with an approved tree conservation plan to keep retained and planted trees alive. Under PTMC 19.06.180, a dead or dying tree must be replaced within 180 days of removal with a healthy tree that meets the planting standards of PTMC 19.06.130, and the replacement must provide tree density units equivalent to what was lost. The city prefers replanting between October 1st and March 1st, and discourages summer planting (June 15th through August 31st) without supplemental irrigation. Separately, PTMC 12.04.075 sets a right-of-way replanting rule: removing a healthy street tree (not dead, diseased, dying, or dangerous) requires planting two replacement trees, each at least three inches in diameter measured 12 inches above grade, subject to public works approval.
Violations & Fines
Failing to replace a dead or dying tree within 180 days, or replanting with a tree that doesn't meet PTMC 19.06.130 species/size standards, is enforced as noncompliance with the tree conservation plan through Planning and Community Development (PCD); it can hold up final occupancy or trigger code enforcement action under Chapter 19.06's enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every removed tree in Port Townsend need a replacement?
What size must a replacement street tree be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
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