Tree removal permit rules in Spokane County, WA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
You generally do not need a Spokane County permit to remove a tree on your own residential lot. The exception is land inside a mapped critical area or buffer (wetlands, fish/wildlife habitat, steep slopes), where clearing vegetation requires review under the Critical Areas Ordinance.
Unincorporated Spokane County has no general urban tree-removal permit for private property, unlike the City of Spokane. Removal is restricted where trees or shrubs are part of an approved landscape plan, in which case dead or diseased trees must be removed and replaced by the owner (SCC 14.806.160). Removal is separately controlled where the property lies within a critical area or its buffer under SCC Title 11 (Critical Areas Ordinance): riparian buffers must generally 'remain in native vegetation,' and no action may alter a wetland, fish and wildlife habitat, or geologically hazardous area except in conformance with the ordinance. Check zoning and critical-area maps before clearing.
Removing required landscape trees without replacement violates SCC 14.806.160. Unpermitted clearing in a critical area or buffer is a Title 11 violation subject to restoration orders and penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Spokane County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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