Lawton, OK Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Significant tree threshold
- 6-inch caliper, good health
- Credit range
- 22 to 50 points by size
- Right-of-way cap
- Max 25% of points
- Replacement duty
- Equal value if tree dies
- Scope
- Downtown Lawton Overlay District only
Summary
Lawton has no citywide heritage-tree registry, but its Downtown Lawton Overlay District landscaping code protects existing 'significant trees,' those with a 6-inch or greater caliper in good health, by letting developers earn landscape points for keeping them and requiring an equal-value replacement if a credited tree dies during or because of construction.
8.Significant tree means any existing tree with a caliper of six inches (6″) or greater that is determined to be in good health....G.Existing Tree Credits. In order to encourage the preservation of Lawton's older trees, credits toward required points may be given in the event existing trees are preserved. Tree credits shall be approved by the director of planning.1.Landscape points shall be applied for each existing significant tree of the following sizes:...2.Trees for which an owner/developer wishes to receive credit must be in the developed area; however, no more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total points may be located within the public rights-of-way.3.Any significant tree claimed for points that dies during construction, or as a result of construction, shall be replaced with a tree (or trees) to equal or exceed the point of value of the lost tree.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
8 as any existing tree with a caliper of six inches or greater that is determined to be in good health. That definition matters because subsection G, Existing Tree Credits, lets a developer earn landscape points toward the building permit's required point total by preserving those trees rather than clearing the site: a 6-inch caliper tree earns 22 points, climbing on a sliding scale up to 50 points for anything over 25 inches in caliper, with the director of planning approving each credit. The credits are not free money for existing vegetation, though; the trees claimed for points must sit within the developed area, and no more than 25 percent of total points may come from trees within the public right-of-way.
3: any significant tree claimed for landscape points that dies during construction, or as a result of construction, must be replaced with a tree or trees equal to or exceeding the point value of the lost tree, so a developer who banks credit for an old tree cannot let it die and keep the points. This is a downtown-overlay-specific development standard tied to building permits and landscape point compliance, not a general municipal heritage-tree ordinance protecting trees on private property citywide; outside the overlay, Lawton's general landscaping rule at § 6-1-5-186 uses the same 'existing significant tree' point concept for other commercial and multi-family development.
Violations & Fines
Letting a significant tree claimed for landscape credit die during or because of construction without replacing it with an equal-or-greater-value tree violates § 18-12-1-1210(G)(3), and a certificate of landscaping compliance will not be issued under subsection H until the replacement or fee-in-lieu obligation is satisfied, holding up the project's occupancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lawton protect old or heritage trees from removal?
What happens if a preserved tree dies during construction in downtown Lawton?
How many landscape points does an old tree earn a developer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawton
Compare Lawton to another location·View the Oklahoma tree protection overview
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