Showing ordinances that apply to Derwood, MD
Derwood is an unincorporated community (population 2,535) in Montgomery County, Maryland. Because Derwood is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Montgomery County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The heritage & protected trees rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Montgomery County provides heightened protection for specimen trees (30+ inches DBH for most species) under Chapter 22A. These trees cannot be removed without Planning Board approval, and removal requires significant mitigation. The county also protects champion trees and trees of special significance on public land.
Under Chapter 22A of the Montgomery County Code, specimen trees are defined as trees measuring 30 inches or more in diameter at breast height (DBH) for most species, or 24 inches DBH for certain slow-growing species including American beech, white oak, and southern red oak. Specimen trees receive the highest level of protection. On any property subject to a forest conservation plan, removal of a specimen tree requires approval from the Montgomery County Planning Board after evaluation of whether the tree can reasonably be preserved. The applicant must demonstrate that avoidance is not feasible. When removal is approved, mitigation requirements are significantly enhanced, often requiring replacement at ratios higher than the standard one-to-one. The county also recognizes champion trees, which are the largest known individual of a species within the county, registered through the Maryland Big Tree Program. Public land trees are additionally protected by M-NCPPC regulations, which prohibit any damage or removal without park approval. Trees protected under the Forest Conservation Law also have root zone protections during nearby construction, requiring tree save fencing and limits on grading within the critical root zone.
Removing a specimen tree without Planning Board approval can result in fines up to $500 per tree plus mandatory enhanced mitigation planting. Damaging a champion tree on public land is a separate violation under M-NCPPC rules. Construction damage to protected root zones can trigger stop-work orders.
See how Derwood's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
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