Twin Falls County, ID Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Protection type
- Information request, not a permit
- Applies to
- Trees of significance/historical trees
- Requesting body
- County tree board
- Notice sought from
- Homeowner, Idaho Power, or highway districts
- Adopted
- Ordinance 197, June 18, 2007
Summary
Section 2-3-8 has the county tree board develop criteria for 'trees of significance or historical trees' and asks to be told before a historic tree is removed, pruned, or affected by right-of-way construction, so it can document and record the tree, but it creates no removal permit and no binding protection order.
The board will develop criteria to determine and distribute information on trees of significance or historical trees. The board requests information on the location of historic trees scheduled for removal, pruning or area construction prior to such action within the right of way area, by either the homeowner, Idaho Power or the highway districts. The board also requests the opportunity to send a representative to the site for the purposes of inquiring about the action, gain knowledge concerning the needs of the public or agency requirements and documenting the consequences to the tree(s).
Full Breakdown
Title 2, Chapter 3, § 2-3-8, 'Sites With Historic Trees,' directs the county tree board to develop criteria for identifying and distributing information on trees of significance or historical trees, feeding a database the board is building toward the community forest master plan under § 2-3-4. The mechanism is a request, not a requirement: the board 'requests information' on the location of a historic tree scheduled for removal, pruning, or nearby construction within a right of way, from whichever party controls the action, the homeowner, Idaho Power, or a highway district.
Where the board learns of a planned action, it 'requests the opportunity' to send a representative to the site to inquire about the work, understand the needs of the public or agency involved, and document the consequences to the tree. Nothing in the section conditions the removal, pruning or construction on the board's consent, and no application, fee or waiting period attaches. The provision exists to build a record of historically significant trees for the county's forestry planning and education efforts under §§ 2-3-9 and 2-3-10, not to impose a landmark-tree protection order enforceable against a property owner in unincorporated Twin Falls County.
Violations & Fines
Because § 2-3-8 only 'requests' notice rather than requiring it, removing a historic tree without telling the tree board is not a misdemeanor under § 1-4-1 and triggers no fine; the sole consequence is that the tree's loss goes undocumented in the county's community forest database.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need county approval to remove a historic tree on my property?
What does the tree board do when it learns a historic tree will be removed?
Is there a list of protected historic trees in Twin Falls County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Twin Falls County
Compare Twin Falls County to another location·View the Idaho tree protection overview
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