Tree removal permit rules in Scott County, MN — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Homeowners may remove trees on their own land in unincorporated Scott County without a county permit. The real limits fall on shoreland lots near Prior and Spring Lakes, where DNR shoreland rules restrict clearing, and on right-of-way trees.
There is no general county tree-removal permit for private land in the Scott County townships; an owner may take down yard trees, including ash killed by emerald ash borer, without county approval. Two situations change that. Trees in the public road right-of-way belong to the county highway department or township and cannot be cut by residents. And on shoreland, lots within the shore impact zone of Prior Lake, Spring Lake, Cedar Lake, and other protected waters, the county administers Minnesota's statewide shoreland standards, MN Rules chapter 6120, which bar intensive vegetation clearing near the water. Cities manage their own boulevard and street trees separately.
Removing your own upland trees carries no penalty. Clearing shoreland vegetation beyond what the shoreland ordinance allows draws a county zoning enforcement order and required restoration; damaging a right-of-way tree brings a county restitution charge.
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See how Scott County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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