Harnett County, NC Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

" Paragraph (1) sets the planting ratio: "The subdivider or developer of developments of more than six residential lots or six dwelling units shall either plant or retain existing healthy trees so that there is at least one deciduous tree for every 50 linear feet of street," with trees planted or retained along both sides of newly created public or private streets and staggered on local or cul-de-sac streets. Paragraph (2) sets species and size standards: street trees must reach 25 to 35 feet at maturity, or only 20 to 25 feet where planted under overhead utility lines, and every tree must measure at least two inches in caliper and six feet in height at planting.

Paragraph (3) sets placement geometry: trees go in a linear arrangement parallel to the street, no less than five feet and no more than ten feet outside the right-of-way, at least eight feet from utility poles and ten feet from electrical transformers. Paragraph (4) requires NCDOT to approve the street tree planting and retention plan for any street proposed for public dedication, tying the parkway planting standard directly to the state road-acceptance process that most subdivision streets in the unincorporated county go through.