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Shreveport, LA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Heritage tree list
None adopted
Preservation credit threshold
Eight inches caliper or greater
Credit ratio
One-to-one, once per tree
Credit cap
50 percent of required trees
Caliper measured at
Four and one-half feet high

Summary

Shreveport designates no heritage, landmark or specimen trees. Neither the Unified Development Code nor Chapter 98 creates a protected-tree list, a diameter-based designation on private lots, or a heritage tree permit. Preservation runs through voluntary credits instead.

Credit for tree preservation will be granted only for trees eight inches or greater in caliper and can be located anywhere on the site to receive tree credits towards the landscape plan.

Source: Shreveport Code of Ordinances & Unified Development CodeView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 98, Article II of the Code of Ordinances covers only trimming over public ways, climbing spikes, arborist licensing and debris removal. UDC Article 10 is titled Landscape and Tree Preservation but works through incentives, not designation. Section 10.6 grants a one-to-one landscape credit for each existing tree of eight inches or greater caliper preserved on a development site, capped at 50 percent of the minimum tree requirement. Caliper is measured at four and one-half feet above the ground under Section 2.4.E. The only diameter-triggered permit in the code, 30 inches, applies to trees in street rights-of-way and other public grounds.

Violations & Fines

No heritage tree penalty exists. Damaging any tree in a public right-of-way violates UDC Section 10.5.C, and UDC violations carry city fines with each day a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Shreveport protect large live oaks on private property?
Not by designation. No section of the UDC or Code of Ordinances lists heritage or protected trees, and no size threshold triggers a permit for a tree on private ground.
What does preserving a mature tree get me?
On a site needing a landscape plan, each preserved tree of eight inches caliper or more earns a one-to-one credit toward required plantings, up to half the minimum tree requirement.
Are public trees treated differently?
Yes. UDC Section 10.5 governs street rights-of-way and public grounds, requires Public Works or SPAR approval to remove trees, and makes damaging or topping a public tree a violation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Shreveport

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSome RestrictionsParkway PlantingLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome Restrictions

All Shreveport rules

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