Sioux Falls does not have a formal heritage-tree or specimen-tree ordinance. No city designation of individual trees by size, age, or species triggers private-property removal restrictions. The city instead protects its tree canopy through the public/parkway-tree program (Chapter 94, administered by the City Forester) and through landscape requirements for new developments under Zoning § 160.485. South Dakota has no statewide heritage-tree statute.
Authority: Sioux Falls, SD Code Chapter 94 (Forestry) and § 160.485 (Landscape Standards). Unlike cities such as Austin or Atlanta, Sioux Falls has not adopted an ordinance protecting individual large or historic trees on private property. The Forestry Division (Parks & Recreation) maintains a citywide tree inventory and Tree Viewer dashboard, manages public-tree health, and operates the CommuniTree Assistance Program (which planted ~5,000 trees in 2026 in neighborhoods hardest hit by EAB), but those programs are not regulatory heritage protections — a private homeowner is not blocked from removing a healthy mature tree on their own lot. Existing trees do receive indirect protection through Zoning § 160.485 (Landscape Standards), which requires a minimum density of trees per 50 feet of frontage on developed parcels — meaning a development that removes existing trees must meet replacement-density landscape requirements before a Certificate of Occupancy. South Dakota statutes (SDCL Title 41 — Game, Fish and Parks; SDCL Chapter 11-2 county zoning) contain no heritage-tree provisions; the only state-level forest protection is through the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) Forestry Division for state lands and shelterbelts.
Not applicable. There is no Sioux Falls ordinance prohibiting removal of a private healthy mature tree based on size, age, or species. Removal of a public/boulevard tree (which may include very large landmark trees) without City Forester authorization remains a Chapter 94 violation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls Code § 93.008 prohibits operating a motor vehicle unless its exhaust system is free from defects, fitted with a muffler/noise-dissipative device,...
Sioux Falls, SD
Outdoor amplified music in Sioux Falls is subject to Chapter 93 use-district limits unless a special permit is obtained. The Main Street Sioux Falls Business...
Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls Code § 93.003 sets maximum sound pressure levels at the property boundary: 60 dBA daytime / 55 dBA nighttime in residential use districts and 65 ...
Sioux Falls, SD
Aircraft-in-flight noise is preempted by federal law (FAA / 49 U.S.C. § 40103 navigable airspace) and is NOT regulated by Sioux Falls Code Chapter 93. Joe Fo...
Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls treats abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperable vehicles as nuisances under § 93.026 of the City Code. On public streets, removal proceeds u...
Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls § 160.480 permits standard residential fence materials (wood, vinyl, chain link, wrought iron, aluminum) but prohibits barbed wire and razor wire...
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