Walla Walla County, WA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Walla Walla County, 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
- Governing section
- WWCC 18.08.640(I)
- Applies to
- Development permits other than single-family dwellings
- Removal limit
- Hazard trees only absent department approval
- Habitat
- Mapped high-density wintering birds-of-prey areas
- Approval requires
- Critical area report under WWCC 18.08.630
Summary
In areas of unincorporated Walla Walla County mapped as high-density wintering birds-of-prey habitat, a development permit other than for a single-family dwelling limits tree and perch removal to hazard trees only, under WWCC 18.08.640(I), unless Community Development approves otherwise after reviewing a critical area report. The rule sits inside the county's fish and wildlife habitat conservation area standards.
18.08.640 - Performance standards—General requirements. ... I.In areas designated as high density of wintering birds of prey, tree and perch removal connected with a development permit other than a single-family dwelling, shall be limited to hazard tree removals unless otherwise approved by the department, after review of a critical area report.
Full Breakdown
Walla Walla County protects several fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas under WWCC Chapter 18.08, including areas mapped as high density of wintering birds of prey habitat on the county's Critical Area Map CA-5B. WWCC 18.08.640(I) restricts tree and perch removal in those mapped areas whenever the removal is connected to a development permit other than one for a single-family dwelling: only hazard trees can be removed, unless the director of Community Development approves additional removal after reviewing a critical area report prepared by a qualified professional under WWCC 18.08.630.
A single-family home builder is not subject to this specific removal cap, but any other development, commercial building, subdivision, or similar permit application must leave non-hazard trees and perch trees standing in the mapped habitat unless the county signs off. The chapter separately restricts tree removal tied to development permits in areas designated Raptor Ferruginous Hawk Habitat to the non-nesting season of August through January under WWCC 18.08.640(J), and bars clearing and grading within 820 feet of an active Ferruginous Hawk nest between March 1 and May 31 under WWCC 18.08.640(K), so a project touching both a wintering-raptor area and Ferruginous Hawk habitat can face layered removal and seasonal timing limits.
Applicants document compliance in the critical area report required for habitat conservation area work, and the county's general critical-areas alteration standard requires that any approved alteration not degrade the habitat's functions and values. Removal beyond what is approved, or removal outside the hazard-tree exception, is an alteration of a critical area subject to the county's Title 18 and Title 14 enforcement and permit-revocation authority.
Violations & Fines
Removing non-hazard trees or perch trees in a mapped wintering birds-of-prey habitat area without department approval under WWCC 18.08.640(I) is an unauthorized critical area alteration, enforceable through Community Development's permit revocation authority and the county's Title 14 enforcement and penalty provisions, which can require restoration or mitigation planting to offset lost habitat function.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove trees on my property in a mapped raptor habitat area?
Does the single-family exemption cover all tree removal?
Who decides if a tree can be removed as a hazard tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walla Walla County
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