Forsyth County, GA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Chapter 86, Article II of the Forsyth County Code (Ord. No. 98-E, adopted May 6, 2021) creates a category of protected "significant trees" that covers specimen trees, landmark and historic trees, and any tree the county arborist, a registered forester or a registered landscape architect deems a rare or unusual species. A landmark and historic tree is defined in § 86-33 as one the Georgia Tree Council has placed on the Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree Register for its national, state or local historical importance.

Specimen status under § 86-57 is set by trunk diameter at breast height: overstory hardwoods need an 18-inch DBH, pines, poplars and sweetgums need 25 inches, and understory or small trees need 8 inches, plus condition tests such as less than 20 percent radial trunk dieback and a life expectancy of at least 15 years for hardwoods or 8 for pines. Property owners who want to remove a significant tree must first submit a plan or written documentation to the Department of Planning and Community Development explaining why.

Approved removals still require replacement at the tree's full assigned unit value under the § 86-61 density-unit table, on top of the site's baseline density factor, and the county caps commercial and industrial recompense at 30 units per acre. Saving a significant tree earns four times the standard unit credit toward a project's required site density factor, which gives builders a real incentive to design around a qualifying oak or landmark specimen rather than clear it. This article applies only to unincorporated Forsyth County under § 86-34; the City of Cumming administers its own separate code.