Lafayette, IN Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Section 8.06.510 of the Lafayette Municipal Code sits in Article V, Landscape Recognition, of the tree chapter, and it lets the City Forester maintain an inventory of outstanding trees in the city, selected for age, species, beauty, or any other remarkable feature or combination of features. A tree added to the inventory may be permanently marked and honored, but only with the consent of the property owner, and the designation comes paired with consultation from the City Forester on proper long-term tree care. The inventory itself is a public record, kept available for inspection in the office of the City Forester.

Section 8.06.520 creates a Tree Advisory Committee, appointed by the Mayor, whose job includes advising the Mayor and City Forester on arborist, professional, and community matters and specifically assisting with developing and updating the Inventory of Outstanding Trees. A related but separate program, Section 8.06.530's meritorious landscape awards, lets the city permanently honor beautification projects maintained for years for public benefit, again on the Tree Advisory Committee's recommendation and at the Mayor's discretion. None of these Article V sections create removal restrictions, permitting hurdles, or penalties tied to a listed tree; the designation is honorary rather than a protective heritage-tree ordinance, unlike the mandatory clearance and permit rules found earlier in the same chapter.