Port Orange, FL Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

5 of the Land Development Code defines a historic tree as any Live Oak or Bald Cypress measuring 36 inches or more in diameter at breast height, or any other tree of that size the city determines to be uniquely valuable for its size, age, historic association or ecological value; a state, national or world champion tree designated by the American Forestry Association also qualifies. Only city council, not staff, can approve a historic tree removal permit. 5, once an application comes in, city staff inspects the tree and determines whether it is healthy, deteriorated, diseased or dead.

If the applicant disputes that call, staff hires an outside specialist at the applicant's expense, and the environmental advisory board hears any objection to the choice of specialist. A historic tree found healthy must be mitigated at an amount the city council sets by resolution, with replacement trees at least four and one-half inches in caliper and 14 feet tall for multifamily, commercial, industrial or institutional properties. On single- and two-family lots, replacement trees only need to be two-inch caliper and 10 feet tall. A tree removed before staff can inspect it is treated as healthy by default for mitigation purposes.

A tree that staff or a specialist confirms is dead requires no mitigation at all. City staff can allow emergency removal of a diseased, dead, deteriorated or storm-damaged historic tree ahead of council approval when it poses an imminent danger, with council and, for larger properties, environmental advisory board sign-off coming afterward. Removing or killing a historic tree without a permit carries its own penalty on top of the general tree violation rules: double the regular permit fee, required mitigation, and, for multifamily, commercial, industrial or institutional lots, a flat $5,000 fine layered on top of those other penalties.