Tree Protection in Georgia (2026)

Cherokee County's Board of Commissioners designates individual heritage trees on the Arborist's recommendation, and the…

Augusta-Richmond County lets the Augusta Commission designate any tree a Landmark Tree on the property owner's…

Decatur, Georgia's Unified Development Ordinance lets a property owner nominate a qualifying tree for Landmark Tree…

DeKalb protects large 'specimen' trees, hardwoods and pines 30 inches DBH or more, or historically significant smaller…

Dunwoody's code protects specimen and special trees by size and condition criteria rather than a discretionary landmark…

Forsyth County flags specimen, landmark and historic trees as protected 'significant trees' under Code of Ordinances §…

Gwinnett County protects large or historically significant trees as 'specimen trees' -- 28-inch hardwoods, 30-inch…

Rockdale County designates large, healthy trees as specimen trees under Code Section 328-26, requiring a certified…

Roswell, Georgia requires written justification, City engineering approval, and a per-tree mitigation fee up to $1,000…

South Fulton lets the director of community development designate any tree a protected heritage tree for its notable…

Atlanta's tree conservation commission can designate any tree, public or private, as a historic tree for its age, size…

Columbia County recognizes historic and heritage trees in its development code. When a required parking layout would…

Columbus, Georgia's Tree Board can designate a tree an Exceptional Specimen Tree, its version of a heritage or landmark…

Coweta County's tree preservation ordinance singles out "specimen trees": those meeting set diameter thresholds or…

Floyd County's Unified Land Development Code has no ordinance labeled "heritage tree," but its "significant tree"…

Fulton County's tree preservation ordinance singles out heritage trees for extra protection: Code § 26-398(32)(b) lets…

Johns Creek can designate a tree of notable age, size, or historical association as a protected 'heritage tree,' and…

Marietta has no separate landmark-tree registry, but its code singles out large, healthy 'specimen trees' for special…

Walton County's Land Development Ordinance protects 'specimen and historical trees' as part of its tree preservation…

Augusta-Richmond County lets owners petition to designate landmark trees, which then cannot be destroyed or endangered…

Clayton County singles out large, old, or historically significant trees as 'specimen trees' for extra protection under…

Columbus, Georgia bars cutting, damaging or killing a protected tree, a Beautification Plan Tree, Public Protected Tree…

Removing a county arborist-designated specimen tree anywhere in unincorporated Fulton County is unlawful without the…

Gwinnett County's specimen-tree rules single out four native flowering species -- redbud, dogwood, serviceberry, and…

South Fulton's Tree Preservation Ordinance protects specific tree species once they reach a set diameter: large…

Atlanta protects trees by size, not species: any tree 6 inches DBH or larger (12 inches for pines) needs a city…

DeKalb County's tree ordinance protects trees by size rather than species. Under § 14-1, any existing, healthy, living…

In unincorporated Fayette County, trees meeting specimen-size thresholds get special protection under Development Code…

Floyd County's Unified Land Development Code sets species-specific size thresholds for protected "significant tree"…

Unincorporated Hall County protects trees rated a "significant tree" under UDC Sec. 8.3.2: hardwoods and softwoods 18…

Macon-Bibb County protects individual high-value trees on public property through a case-by-case 'specimen tree'…

Roswell, Georgia grants elevated 'specimen tree' protection based on species group and trunk size, from 8-inch dogwoods…

Commercial developments in Atlanta must plant street trees along every public and private street frontage, spaced no…

Augusta-Richmond County sets minimum planting distances from curbs and sidewalks by tree size, requires a treelawn…

Unincorporated Carroll County, Georgia requires a landscaped street-tree strip for multi-family, retail, office and…

New residential subdivisions in unincorporated Chatham County must plant canopy street trees inside dedicated Tree…

Every Clayton County subdivision must line its streets with trees: Sec. 86-160 requires one street tree for every 40…

Columbus, Georgia's City Arborist must prepare a street tree planting plan and program for major arterial and collector…

New commercial, office and industrial developments in unincorporated DeKalb, plus denser residential projects, must…

Non-residential development in unincorporated Gwinnett County must plant one street tree per 50 linear feet of…

New residential subdivisions in Marietta must plant street trees along road frontage as part of the required 10-foot…

In the CRS Collaborative Residential Subdivision zoning district, unincorporated Rockdale County requires street trees…

Roswell's Unified Development Code requires one shade tree every 40 feet on center along all city streets, or one…

Any development along Walton County's Parkway Corridor Overlay District must plant street trees inside a required…

New residential development inside a U-PUD zoning district in unincorporated Whitfield County must plant street trees…

South Fulton does not blanket every subdivision street with mandatory street trees. Under Subdivision Regulations…

Forsyth County's Unified Development Code encourages, but does not require, street tree plantings inside Conservation…