Routine trimming of your own trees needs no county permit in unincorporated Clackamas County. Trimming is restricted only inside protected riparian, habitat (ZDO 706) or water-quality (ZDO 709) corridors, or on trees required to be retained during development.
For ordinary yard trees on a private lot, Clackamas County does not require a permit to prune or trim. Restrictions apply where a tree sits in a mapped Habitat Conservation Area (ZDO 706), Water Quality Resource Area (ZDO 709), or Willamette River Greenway (ZDO 705), where cutting and grading in stream buffers is limited. During development, ZDO 1002.03 requires that 'Trees and wooded areas to be retained shall be protected during site preparation and construction according to County design and specifications,' so trimming retained trees can be regulated. You are also responsible for keeping vegetation clear of the public road right-of-way and sight-distance triangles.
No penalty for routine yard trimming. Cutting inside a protected buffer or damaging trees required to be retained can trigger restoration conditions and land-use enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Clackamas County's ZDO addresses light trespass through Subsection 1005.04, which requires outdoor lighting to be shielded and directed so light stays within...
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Clackamas County has no formal 'dark-sky' overlay, but ZDO Subsection 1005.04 requires outdoor lighting not to direct light skyward: fixtures must shield and...
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In unincorporated Clackamas County, garage-sale signs are temporary signs under ZDO Section 1010. A sign 3 square feet or less needs no permit, temporary sig...
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Clackamas County confirms 'the size and placement of political signs are not regulated by election law.' In the unincorporated county, campaign signs follow ...
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A tiny home on a foundation is treated as a dwelling or ADU under Clackamas County's ZDO (Section 839 for ADUs). A tiny house on wheels is an RV and cannot b...
See how Clackamas County's tree trimming rules stack up against other locations.
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