York County, VA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in York County, VA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Buffer width
- 100 feet along RPA
- Removal approval
- CBPA Manager, case by case
- Required documentation
- Water Quality Impact Assessment
- Exempt activity
- Home pruning, mowing, mulching
- Max civil penalty
- $5,000 per day of violation
- Alternative civil charge
- Up to $10,000 per violation
Summary
York County, Virginia requires a 100-foot vegetated buffer along Resource Protection Areas under Chesapeake Bay Preservation Chapter Sec. 23.2-10, and trees inside that buffer generally cannot be removed except under permitted conditions the CBPA Manager authorizes case by case. Mature trees must be preserved and pruned rather than cut whenever site conditions allow.
(a)To minimize the adverse effects of human activities on the other components of the RPA, state waters, and aquatic life, a 100-foot wide buffer area of vegetation as described in the Buffer Guidelines shall be provided. ... (d)Existing woody vegetation may be removed to provide for reasonable sight lines, access paths, and shoreline erosion control best management practices, if authorized by the CBPA Manager, on a case-by-case basis, upon submittal of a WQIA documenting that the RPA buffer functions will be maintained and vegetation will be replaced. Permitted modifications include:(1)Mature trees shall be preserved and trimmed or pruned in lieu of removal as site conditions permit, and removal should be limited to the fewest number of trees feasible. ... (6)Dead or diseased trees or shrubbery may be removed pursuant to sound horticultural practice in accordance with the Buffer Guidelines.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 23.2-10(a) sets the buffer itself: a 100-foot wide vegetated buffer must be retained where present, or established where it does not exist, to retard runoff, prevent erosion, and filter nonpoint source pollution before it reaches state waters; new tree plantings must be incorporated into any buffer reestablishment, with native species preferred. Subsection (d) governs removal of existing woody vegetation within that buffer: it may only be removed for reasonable sight lines, access paths, or shoreline erosion control best management practices, and only if the CBPA Manager authorizes it case by case after the applicant submits a Water Quality Impact Assessment (WQIA) documenting that buffer function will be maintained and vegetation replaced.
Even then, mature trees must be preserved and trimmed or pruned instead of removed wherever site conditions permit, and removal must be limited to the fewest number of trees feasible; any trees removed for sight lines must be replaced with equally effective vegetation. Subsection (d)(7) exempts ordinary home landscaping, such as pruning, mowing, and mulching, and removal of noxious weeds replaced with suitable vegetation, from needing a WQIA or plan approval. Dead or diseased trees or shrubbery may be removed under subsection (d)(6) following sound horticultural practice.
Outside the RPA buffer, Sec. 23.2-7(g) requires all land development generally to protect mature trees during construction, removing them "only where necessary" for the approved use.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 23.2-19 makes it a violation to modify the RPA buffer, including removing protected vegetation, without first getting the required approval. Sec. 23.2-20 backs that up with a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each day of violation assessed by the circuit court, or, with the violator's consent, a one-time civil charge of up to $10,000 per violation, plus the county's option to seek an injunction against a continuing violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove trees within York County's Resource Protection Area buffer?
Do I need a permit to mow or prune my own yard near the buffer?
What is the penalty for cutting protected trees in the RPA without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the Virginia landscaping rules overview
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