Sangamon County, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Sangamon County, IL, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Applies to
- New telecom facility construction only
- Trigger diameter
- Trees over 3 inches
- Replacement size
- 3+ inch same/similar species
- Standard
- "If reasonably feasible" -- advisory
- General removal law
- None exists countywide
Summary
Sangamon County has no general tree-replacement law for private removals -- the only county rule sits in the telecommunications-facility ordinance, which asks that trees over 3 inches in diameter removed during construction be replanted with a similar species.
Existing trees more than three (3) inches in diameter should be preserved if reasonably feasible during construction. If any tree more than three (3) inches in diameter is removed during construction, a tree three (3) inches or more in diameter of the same or a similar species shall be planted as a replacement if reasonably feasible. Tree diameter shall be measured at a point three (3) feet above ground level. If any elevation of a facility faces an existing, adjoining residential use within a residential zoning district, low maintenance landscaping should be provided on or near the facility lot to provide at least partial screening of the facility. The quantity and type of that landscaping should be in accordance with any county landscaping regulations of general applicability, except that paragraph e) of this subsection 8 shall control over any tree-related regulations imposing a greater burden. Fencing should be installed around a facility. The height and materials of the fencing should be in accordance with any county fence regulations of general applicability. Any building that is part of a facility located adjacent to a residentially zoned lot should be designed with exterior materials and colors that are reasonably compatible with the residential character of the area. (Res. 9, March 10, 1998)
Full Breakdown
Sangamon County Code Section 17.45.010, part of the telecommunication facilities chapter, provides that existing trees more than three inches in diameter should be preserved during construction of a new cell tower or similar facility if reasonably feasible, and that any such tree removed during construction should be replaced with a tree of the same or a similar species at least three inches in diameter, measured three feet above ground. This is a siting consideration weighed in the facility's conditional-use review, not a general tree-removal permit -- it doesn't reach routine tree removal by homeowners or other landowners, and both the preservation and replacement duties are qualified by 'if reasonably feasible.'
Violations & Fines
There's no county penalty provision specific to this clause; it functions as one of the siting factors the County Board weighs when approving a telecommunication facility as a conditional permitted use, not as a standalone enforceable mandate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to replace a tree I cut down on my property in Sangamon County?
What tree-replacement rule applies to a new cell tower site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sangamon County
Compare Sangamon County to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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