Walton County, GA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Section 12-2-100(A)(4) states that one purpose of the county's tree standards is to protect specimen and historical trees as defined by the Vegetation Protection and Replacement Administrative Standards, and Section 2-1-100 defines a Specimen Tree as any deciduous tree determined to be of high value because of its species, size, age or other distinctive criteria, with general identification criteria set out in Article 12 and detailed standards in Appendix C. Any applicant seeking a development permit that is not otherwise exempt must submit a tree protection plan that locates specimen trees on the property, and the Director of Planning and Development reviews that plan for conformance before the development permit can issue.

If a specimen tree must come down, Section 12-2-100(C)(3)(c)(5)(c) requires the developer to replace it with a minimum of two trees of at least two-inch caliper, of a species with the potential for comparable size and quality, and that replacement is required on top of, not instead of, the property's regular tree density obligation. The ordinance also gives specimen trees leverage in the permitting process itself: Section 12-2-120(A) lets the Director administratively reduce a lot's front, side or rear yard setback by up to ten percent when necessary to preserve an existing specimen or significant tree, decided under the variance procedure at Section 14-1-180, and Section 12-2-120(B) lets the Board of Appeals reduce required parking spaces for the same reason.

Any variance granted this way must include a condition that the tree be replaced at the owner's expense if it later dies because of the construction the variance allowed.