Dorchester County protects Grand trees, its heritage class: any tree 24 inches DBH or larger, including pine. Grand trees may be removed only by permit, and in development only with mitigation. Big live oaks are the classic Grand tree.
Dorchester County's tree ordinance singles out the Grand tree, a tree of special value due to its age and stature, as irreplaceable. Any tree 24 inches DBH or greater, including pine, qualifies, and Grand trees carry the county's strongest protection. In development they may be removed only with mitigation, cannot be cleared for parking, and must be individually surveyed. The protection reaches even occupied single-family lots for non-pine Grand trees, so a mature live oak cannot simply be cut. South Carolina has no statewide heritage-tree statute, so the county ordinance, and Summerville's stricter town rules, are the source of protection.
Removing or destroying a Grand tree without a permit violates the ordinance and can require mitigation planting. Damaging a protected tree during construction risks stop-work orders and replacement costs.
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See how Summerville's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
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