Hernando County uses 'Specimen' (18-inch DBH or greater) and 'Majestic' (36-inch DBH or greater) classifications under Code § 10-23 rather than a stand-alone 'heritage tree' registry. Both classes must be preserved during land clearing unless the County Administrator makes one of three findings (hazard, infestation, or property damage). The statewide Florida Champion Tree Program is administered by the Florida Forest Service (FDACS) and recognizes the largest known specimen of each species. Champion status is a recognition; it does not add removal preemption.
Hernando County Code Section 10-23 (Tree Preservation) defines Majestic trees as 36-inch DBH or greater, Specimen trees as 18-inch DBH or greater, and Regulated trees as 3-inch to <18-inch DBH (DBH measured 4.5 feet above the soil line; multi-trunk diameters summed). The ordinance directs: 'Majestic trees shall be preserved,' and Specimen / Majestic trees in proposed clearing areas must be drawn on the land clearing plan with tree-protection methods (well-marked trees-to-be-preserved) during construction. The County Administrator may authorize removal of a Specimen or Majestic tree upon finding any of: (1) immediate safety hazard, (2) infestation of insects or pathogens reasonably expected to lead to death of the tree or spread to other trees, or (3) the tree is causing — or may be expected to cause — property damage. The statewide Florida Champion Tree Program — administered by FDACS, Florida Forest Service — recognizes the largest known specimen of each species using the ISA point system (trunk circumference in inches at 4.5 feet + total height in feet + one-quarter average crown spread in feet). Champion status is a recognition only and does not grant additional removal preemption, but champion or near-champion specimens almost always meet § 10-23's Majestic threshold. Mangroves remain separately preempted to FDEP (FS 403.9321-403.9333). FS 163.045 still applies — a single-family residential owner with proper ISA-certified arborist documentation can remove even a Majestic-class tree without County permit when the tree is documented as dangerous.
Removal of a Specimen or Majestic tree without an administrator finding under § 10-23 — and without FS 163.045 documentation — can result in Code Enforcement citation, like-for-like replacement scaled to the DBH of the removed tree, and Code Enforcement Magistrate fines. Damaging a Florida Champion Tree carries no separate state penalty by itself, but Chapter 10 protection, FDEP wetland / mangrove rules, and § 10-22 Land Clearing Permit obligations still apply.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Spring Hill, FL
Solar installations in Spring Hill require a building permit through the Hernando County Building Division and must comply with the Florida Building Code (FB...
Spring Hill, FL
Florida Statute § 509.102 forbids Hernando County from prohibiting food trucks 'within the entirety of the entity's jurisdiction,' which preempts countywide ...
Spring Hill, FL
Florida Statute § 509.102 (enacted as HB 1193 in 2020) preempts local regulation of mobile food dispensing vehicle licenses, registrations, permits, and fees...
Spring Hill, FL
U.S. airspace is federally regulated by the FAA (Part 107 for commercial; 49 U.S.C. § 44809 for recreational flyers). Florida Statute § 330.41 (the Unmanned ...
Spring Hill, FL
Hernando County does not impose a numeric cap on garage / yard / estate / moving sales in unincorporated Spring Hill — there is no countywide ordinance limit...
Spring Hill, FL
Spring Hill was master-planned by the Deltona Corporation in 1967 with 28,500 platted lots sold in three years, leaving thousands of small individually owned...
See how Spring Hill's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.