Allegheny County, PA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Protected list
- Register of Bicentennial Trees
- Rule
- no approval if tree destroyed
- Waiver
- none provided in the section
Summary
Allegheny County flatly bars approval of any subdivision or land development plan that would destroy a tree listed on its official Register of Bicentennial Trees.
Preservation of bicentennial trees. No subdivision or land development shall be approved which includes the destruction of a tree listed in the Allegheny County Register of Bicentennial Trees.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4857026; v12 updated 2024-06-04; through 06-04-2024).
Full Breakdown
Section 780-506.C creates an absolute protection for trees on the Allegheny County Register of Bicentennial Trees: the county cannot approve any subdivision or land development plan that includes destroying a listed tree, regardless of the disturbance-avoidance flexibility allowed for other large or unique trees elsewhere in §780-506. A developer whose site includes a Register-listed tree must redesign the plan around it rather than seek a removal exception, since the code provides no waiver mechanism for this specific category.
Violations & Fines
Submitting or building a plan that destroys a Register-listed bicentennial tree blocks final subdivision approval outright and exposes the violator to Chapter 780's civil judgment of up to $500 per day under §780-109.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bicentennial tree ever be removed for development in Allegheny County?
Does this differ from the county's general large-tree rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allegheny County
Compare Allegheny County to another location·View the Pennsylvania tree protection overview
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