Doña Ana County, NM Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)

The county's Unified Development Code addresses street trees under § 350-507, Landscaping, buffering, and fencing, Subsection F, Landscape, public right-of-way, which applies to the parkway, the planted strip between the sidewalk and the curb described in § 350-403E, Parkway assemblies. Trees planted in a parkway must be installed at a minimum size combination of a 24-inch box, 1½-inch caliper, or 6-foot height with a 2-foot canopy width, and they cannot be spaced closer together than their canopy width at maturity, though the code allows even or uneven groupings.

Turf grass is prohibited in this right-of-way strip regardless of irrigation method. The broader landscaping section, § 350-507E, sets clearances that apply to any street tree: an unpaved planting area of at least 36 square feet with no dimension under 4 feet is required per tree, trunks need 6 feet of clearance from buildings, fences, walls and parkways, canopies must stay clear of overhead utility lines unless the species matures under 12 feet, trunks must sit at least 3 feet from underground utilities and 10 feet from streetlight poles, and 8 feet from fire hydrants.

10, Typical Rural Parkways, referenced in § 350-403E. In the county's highest-intensity T5 areas with shopfronts, sidewalk pavement may substitute for the required public planting.