Trees required by the Lee County Land Development Code may only be pruned to promote healthy, natural growth using ANSI A300 and ISA standards. Severe pruning, topping, or hat-racking is prohibited and carries per-tree fines.
Lee County LDC Section 10-421(c) governs pruning of vegetation required by the Code. Vegetation may only be pruned to promote healthy, uniform, natural growth (except where necessary for health, safety, and welfare) and must follow the ANSI A300 (Part 1) tree-care standard and the ISA Best Management Practices for tree pruning. Trees must not be severely pruned to permanently reduce height or spread. Topping, hat-racking, balling, rounding-over, and poodle-tailing are treated as irreparable damage. Ordinary trimming of a homeowner's non-required landscape trees is generally unregulated, but trees planted to satisfy Code landscape or open-space requirements must be maintained to these arboricultural standards.
Severe pruning of Code-required trees is enforced under Section 10-421(c) by court citation, with fines of $100 per tree (first offense), $250 (second), and $500 (third), issued to both the contractor and the owner. Severely pruned trees must be replaced
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