Kirkland, WA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Landmark tree threshold
- 26-inch DBH or greater
- Mitigation ratio
- 3 replacement trees per landmark tree
- Fee in lieu
- $450 per required mitigation tree
- Banking limit
- Max 2 landmark trees per 24 months
- Maintenance term
- 5-year recorded maintenance agreement
- Governing section
- KZC 95.23
Summary
Kirkland classifies any regulated tree with a trunk 26 inches or more in diameter as a landmark tree, and KZC 95.23 bars removing one from public or private property without a tree removal permit and an approved mitigation plan. Owners who cut one down must replant three trees per landmark tree removed or pay a $450 per-tree fee.
No person, directly or indirectly, shall remove any landmark tree from public or private property without first meeting the standards as provided in this chapter... Landmark trees on private properties pursuant to KZC 95.25 shall not be removed without first obtaining a tree removal permit as provided in this chapter... Mitigation Ratio. For each landmark tree removed, the applicant shall plant three large species selected from the City's Approved Landmark Tree Mitigation List. Mitigation trees shall be a minimum of six feet tall for a conifer or a minimum of two-inch caliper for a deciduous or broad-leaf evergreen tree at the time of planting... The applicant shall sign a five-year maintenance agreement, on a form provided by the City and approved by the City Attorney, to maintain the mitigation trees for a period of five years from final inspection... The fee in lieu shall be $450.00 per required mitigation tree that is not planted on the subject property.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
23 governs removal of any "landmark tree," defined elsewhere in Chapter 95 as a regulated tree with a minimum 26-inch DBH. 30. 30 before signing off. Once approved, the applicant must plant three large-species replacement trees selected from the City's Approved Landmark Tree Mitigation List for every landmark tree removed. Replacement conifers must be at least six feet tall at planting; replacement deciduous or broad-leaf evergreen trees must be at least two-inch caliper. The mitigation trees go in within 12 months of removal (or before final development inspection), and the owner signs a five-year maintenance agreement, recorded with the King County Recorder's office, guaranteeing their survival.
Owners can skip planting altogether by paying $450 per required mitigation tree into the City Forestry Account, which funds canopy restoration elsewhere in Kirkland; the Planning and Building Director may periodically adjust that figure. A landmark tree already dead or dying, documented by photograph to the Planning Official, is exempt from mitigation entirely.
Violations & Fines
Removing a landmark tree without a permit is a code enforcement matter handled by Kirkland's Planning and Building Department, which can require restoration plantings and pursue fines under Chapter 95's enforcement provisions (KZC 95.55). Skipping the mitigation plantings or the $450-per-tree fee in lieu leaves the obligation outstanding and can hold up final inspection on any related development permit until the five-year maintenance agreement is recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big does a tree have to be to count as a landmark tree in Kirkland?
Can I pay a fee instead of planting replacement trees?
How many landmark trees can I remove in a year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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Heritage & Protected Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle heritage & protected trees.