Winnebago County, IL Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Winnebago County's Unified Development Ordinance lets a developer count existing trees on a zoning lot toward the code's landscaping requirements, but that credit comes with a replacement obligation. If a preserved tree that was credited toward the landscaping requirement dies within three years of construction, the developer must plant one replacement tree for every credited tree lost. Each credited or replacement tree also needs a minimum planting area, twenty-five square feet up to a four-inch trunk diameter, with twenty-five more square feet added for every additional two inches of diameter, measured four and a half feet above grade. The Planning and Zoning Officer administers tree credits and confirms the ordinance's intent is maintained.