New Port Richey, FL Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Who designates
- forester, horticulturist, or plantsman
- Historic tree basis
- age, type, size, or history
- Specimen tree basis
- type, size, age, or value
- Owner duty
- keep tree living once designated
- Governing section
- LDC § 8.02.03(6)
Summary
New Port Richey can designate specimen or historic trees as protected based on age, size, or historic value, and once designated, owners must keep them alive and in good condition.
Historic tree: A historic tree shall mean a tree which has been found by a professional forester, horticulturist, or other professional plantsman, to be of notable historic interest to the City of New Port Richey because of its age, type, size or historic association and has been so designated and that designation has been officially made and promulgated as part of the official records of the City of New Port Richey.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
New Port Richey's tree protection article lets a professional forester, horticulturist, or plantsman designate a tree as a 'specimen tree' for its type, size, or age, or a 'historic tree' for its age, type, size, or historic association with the city, once that designation is officially adopted into city records. Under LDC § 8.02.03(6), any real property with a designated specimen or historic tree must maintain that tree in a living condition. Removal of a designated tree still requires the standard Development Review Committee permit, and the designation itself can only be made through the city's official process, not by a private owner's claim.
Violations & Fines
Letting a designated specimen or historic tree die from neglect, or removing one without a Development Review Committee permit, triggers the same criminal and civil penalties as removing any other protected tree in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a tree get official heritage or specimen status in New Port Richey?
Can a homeowner remove a designated historic tree from their New Port Richey property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Port Richey
Florida rules heatmap·Compare New Port Richey to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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Heritage & Protected Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pasco County handle heritage & protected trees.