Corvallis, OR Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 2.19.130 of the Corvallis Municipal Code puts a standing duty on every property owner to prune or remove any tree, shrub, plant, or vegetation growing in the park strip abutting their land so it clears at least 8 feet above the sidewalk and 12 feet above the street pavement or curb, with the work performed to current ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133 industry standards. Section 2.19.140 adds a parallel duty to prune or remove vegetation anywhere on the owner's property that blocks sight distance at a street intersection, alley, or private driveway.

The City Manager enforces both duties under Section 2.19.030 and, under Section 2.19.150, can treat overgrown vegetation blocking a street, sewer, or sidewalk as a public nuisance: the City Manager gives the owner 30 days' notice to prune or remove it, and if the owner does not act, the City may do the work itself and assess the cost against the property as a lien that outranks other encumbrances. Section 2.19.170 separately makes it unlawful for anyone to top, abuse, mutilate, or attach a sign, poster, or wire to a street or park strip tree, though it does not stop an abutting owner from doing minor ANSI-compliant pruning of their own frontage tree.

Violating any part of Chapter 2.19, including the clearance duty, is punishable under Section 2.19.180 by a fine of up to $500 per tree, prosecutable as a Class A infraction, plus the appraised value of any tree wrongfully damaged, destroyed, or removed, with fines paid into the Urban Forestry Project Account.