Apex, NC Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Specimen tree threshold
- 18-inch caliper, any species but pine
- Survey required
- At site plan or subdivision review
- RCA removal
- Barred absent an exemption
- Applies to
- New development only, not existing lots
- Source instrument
- UDO, codified July 2021
Summary
Apex has no separate heritage-tree registry; instead, new development must survey and preserve 'specimen trees', any non-pine tree 18 inches or larger in caliper, within the required Resource Conservation Area under the town's Unified Development Ordinance.
Provide tree survey locating all specimen (hardwood) trees 18"
caliper and larger within RCA and buffers on site. For North
Carolina Certified Sites, the tree survey shall only be required
within buffers. Fifty (50) feet outside of the perimeter of the site,
document location of all trees 18" caliper and larger by providing
an aerial photograph, registered forester's or certified arborist's
report, tree survey, or other appropriate means.
e) Document that all proposed RCA areas meet the Criteria for
Establishing RCA (per Sec. 8.1.2.B.1) by means of a tree survey or
other appropriate means, including but not limited to a registered
forester's or certified arborist's report referenced to-scale digital
photos, a registered forester's or certified arborist's report
referenced to aerial photographs. Aerial photographs are not an
acceptable stand-alone means of documentation for trees in RCA.
f) Document that buffers meet the required "A", "B", "C", "D" or "E"
type standards by means of a tree survey or other appropriate
means, including but not limited to a registered forester's or
certified arborist's report referenced to-scale digital photos, a
registered forester's or certified arborist's report referenced to
aerial photographs. Aerial photographs are not an acceptable
stand-alone means of documentation for trees in buffers.
g) Show location of wetlands as determined by a licensed soil
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The UDO defines a 'Specimen Tree' as any tree other than a pine with a caliper of 18 inches or more (§ 12.2). For site plans, subdivision plans, and PD plans, applicants must survey and locate every specimen tree within the proposed Resource Conservation Area and buffers, and document specimen and larger trees within 50 feet of the site perimeter (§ 8.1.2.B.2). Trees inside an approved RCA generally cannot be removed absent an exemption (§ 8.1.3). This applies UDO-wide, inside Apex's corporate limits and its mapped extraterritorial jurisdiction, but only to new development sites, not routine removal on already-built single-family lots. The rule comes from the July 2021 codification.
Violations & Fines
Removing a specimen tree from an approved Resource Conservation Area without a Sec. 8.1.3 exemption can trigger replacement requirements under Sec. 8.2.3 and jeopardize site or subdivision plan approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Apex have a heritage or landmark tree registry?
What counts as a 'specimen tree' in Apex?
Does this rule apply to trees on my existing house lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
Compare Apex to another location·View the North Carolina tree protection overview
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Heritage & Protected Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle heritage & protected trees.