Tree removal permit rules in Spokane, WA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Removing trees on private residential property in Spokane generally does not require a permit, but heritage trees, street trees, and trees in critical areas are protected. Permits required in landslide, wetland, and riparian zones.
Spokane Municipal Code Chapter 12.02 and the Critical Areas Ordinance regulate tree removal. On standard residential lots, homeowners may remove trees on their own property without a permit unless the tree is a designated heritage tree, in the public right-of-way, or within a mapped critical area (wetlands, riparian buffers, steep slopes, aquifer recharge zones). Street tree removal requires an Urban Forestry permit and usually replacement planting. Trees in critical areas require a critical area review and may require mitigation planting at 2:1 or 3:1 ratios. Development projects trigger additional tree retention standards. Stump grinding and disposal are the owners responsibility. For ponderosa pine removal in WUI zones, defensible space reasons may justify removal with Fire Department documentation.
Illegal removal of street trees or heritage trees: replacement plus fines up to $2,000. Critical area violations: SEPA enforcement, restoration orders, and fines up to $5,000 per tree.
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See how Spokane's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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