Kalamazoo, MI Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Kalamazoo does not run a citywide landmark-tree program; protection attaches only within the Natural Features Protection (NFP) Overlay District, which covers parcels containing or adjacent to wetlands, water resources, woodlands, floodplains, slopes, natural heritage areas, and habitat corridors. Table 6.2-4 sets species-specific diameter-at-breast-height (DBH) thresholds in four tiers: 18 inches for large canopy species such as ash, beech, sugar maple, American elm, and black walnut; 16 inches for oaks and honey locust; 12 inches for river birch, hickories, and sassafras; and just 4 inches for understory natives like eastern redbud, pawpaw, and serviceberry.

Any tree over 24 inches DBH is automatically protected no matter the species. Once protected, a tree's critical root zone (CRZ) cannot be disturbed during site development or construction, though fences meeting other zoning standards and arborist-supervised management of other protected trees or woodlands are allowed. Removal is permitted only if the tree blocks site access, a utility connection, or the zoned use of the property; is documented as diseased, dying, or substantially damaged; or threatens the structural integrity of an existing structure. When a protected tree comes down as part of a project requiring site plan review, the owner must replant at a 1:1 ratio using species from the Replacement Tree List in Table 6.2-5, and some species must be replaced with a different species entirely. Community Planning and Economic Development enforces these standards through the site plan review process.