Cocoa, FL Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

The city's Appendix A zoning code (Article XIII, Section 22) defines a 'specimen tree' as any hardwood not on the exempt species list with a trunk diameter of 24 inches or greater, measured at breast height, excluding dead, hazardous or diseased trees. Specimen trees receive the toughest replacement math in the code: Table 2 requires a minimum of nine 3-inch replacement trees for every specimen removed, and the Arbor Mitigation Fund buy-out rate doubles to $200 per inch not replaced, versus $100 per inch for smaller trees.

Oak trees get a second layer of protection tied to city-owned land. Section 22(H) creates a Tree Board, made up of the members of the Planning and Zoning Board, that reviews and recommends on any oak tree standing on city public right-of-way or city-owned property. No such oak may be removed or significantly pruned until the Tree Board has made a recommendation and the City Council has approved it. The code carves out five narrow exceptions: emergency removal of a hazardous or seriously damaged oak, removal of a dead oak, volunteer oaks under 4 inches in diameter, oaks tied to a previously approved site plan or public works project, and pruning of less than 30 percent of the canopy.

Outside those exceptions, the Tree Board's recommendation must also address the location and species of any replacement tree. Removing a specimen tree without first obtaining a tree removal permit carries a heavier civil fine than removing an ordinary tree: $150 per caliper inch versus $100 per inch for non-specimen trees, both capped at $5,000 per tree. The Code Enforcement Board hears these cases and can also allow an after-the-fact permit process, including a required tree survey based on aerial photographs or other best evidence of what existed before removal.