Woodbury, MN Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

Woodbury's tree preservation division protects two defined classes of trees, both set out in Sec. 27-39. A Significant tree is a healthy hardwood deciduous tree at least 6 inches in diameter, a coniferous tree at least 6 inches in diameter or 12 feet tall, or a common tree at least 12 inches in diameter. A Specimen tree is the higher tier: a healthy hardwood deciduous tree 30 inches or more in diameter, or a healthy conifer 20 feet or taller. Both classes trigger the replacement requirements in Secs.

27-40 and 27-41, but specimen trees carry heavier protection throughout the code. On developing property, Sec. 27-40(a)(5) requires a City-approved tree preservation plan before any healthy Specimen tree may be removed at all, regardless of how much of the site's other tree canopy stays under the general 30-percent allowable-removal threshold. When a specimen tree is removed beyond what a preservation plan allows, Sec. 27-40(h)(4) requires replacement with new hardwood deciduous trees at a 2-to-1 diameter-inch ratio, double the 1-to-2 ratio owed for ordinary significant trees.

Owners can also earn credit for keeping a specimen tree standing: Sec. 27-40(m)(1) allows a 2-to-1 replacement credit, up to half of a project's required replacement, for preserving a qualifying specimen tree, though the credit converts to a fee-in-lieu if the tree dies within two years. Even on already-platted residential lots, where owners may otherwise clear their entire lot without replacement, Sec. 27-41(c)(2) still requires a city permit before any Specimen tree comes down.