Showing ordinances that apply to Sandia Heights, NM
Sandia Heights is an unincorporated community (population 3,273) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Because Sandia Heights is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bernalillo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The heritage & protected trees rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Albuquerque designates 'Champion Trees' on public land but has no formal heritage tree program for private property. Historic cottonwoods in the Rio Grande Bosque and old-growth trees in Los Ranchos and Corrales receive informal recognition but limited legal protection.
Neither Bernalillo County nor the City of Albuquerque maintains a formal heritage or landmark tree ordinance applicable to private property. The city does maintain a Champion Tree registry recognizing the largest specimens of each species on public land, coordinated through the City Forester. Historic Rio Grande cottonwoods in the Bosque are federally protected as part of the Middle Rio Grande Conservation Area. The Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque (within county boundaries) has tree-preservation policies in its Master Plan emphasizing cottonwood retention. Trees listed on properties in the Historic Overlay Zones (e.g., Huning Highland, Barelas, Los Poblanos) may receive enhanced scrutiny during construction review but aren't individually designated. New Mexico's Solar Rights Act (NMSA §47-3-6) can indirectly protect trees that provide solar shading when deliberately planted pre-easement.
Damage to Champion Trees on public land: ROA §6-6-99 penalties up to $500 plus tree replacement value (typically $5,000 to $25,000 for large specimens). Bosque cottonwood damage: federal/state charges possible.
See how Sandia Heights's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
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