Pasco LDC §603 designates Specimen trees (24 inch+ DBH live oak, cypress, longleaf pine, magnolia) with the highest protection. Removal requires BCC approval and 3:1 mitigation except under FL §163.045 danger exemption.
Pasco County Land Development Code Section 603 classifies trees as Protected (4-12 inch DBH), Grand (12-24 inch DBH), and Specimen (24 inch+ DBH or historically/ecologically significant). Specimen trees — particularly live oaks, bald cypress, longleaf pine, Southern magnolia, and cabbage palm clusters — receive the strongest protection. Removal of a Specimen tree requires Board of County Commissioners approval, a certified arborist report, and typically 3:1 replacement mitigation or equivalent fee-in-lieu payment to the Pasco Tree Bank. Construction near Specimen trees requires tree protection fencing at the critical root zone (1 ft radius per 1 inch DBH) under LDC §603.4. Florida Statute §163.045 still applies — a certified arborist can document a Specimen tree as an unacceptable danger and remove it without county approval, but documentation must be retained for 5 years.
Unauthorized Specimen tree removal: $5,000-$25,000 per tree under LDC §603.6 plus 3:1 replacement. Root zone damage during construction: $1,000-$10,000 plus remediation and monitoring. Stop-work order and potential liens.
Pasco County, FL
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See how Pasco County's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
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