Provo, UT Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Provo City Code 9.20.090
- Administering division
- Provo City Forestry Division
- Prerequisite
- Occupancy permit + strip irrigation/turf
- Species control
- Must use City's tree selection guide
- Owner watering duty
- Liable for tree's appraised value if it dies unwatered
Summary
Provo runs parkway tree planting through the Forestry Division under Code 9.20.090. New homeowners must pay a public tree fee, get an occupancy permit, and prep the parking strip with irrigation and turf before the City will plant a tree there.
The Provo City Forestry Division's tree planting program provides public trees for parking strips adjacent to new homes and other housing development projects. The service is available to new homeowners upon payment of a public tree fee as shown in the Consolidated Fee Schedule adopted by the Municipal Council. An occupancy permit shall also be issued and the parking strip prepared (installation of an irrigation system and turf) prior to planting of a public tree. A public tree must be selected from the tree selection guide unless approved by the City Forester prior to planting.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
090 governs the Forestry Division's Public Tree Planting Program, which supplies public trees for the parking strips (parkway strips) adjacent to new homes and other housing developments. Access to the program isn't automatic: a new homeowner must pay a public tree fee set in the City's Consolidated Fee Schedule, and an occupancy permit must be issued before planting occurs. The property owner is also responsible for preparing the parking strip itself, installing an irrigation system and turf, before the City Forester will plant. Tree selection isn't left to the homeowner: the species must come from the City's tree selection guide unless the City Forester approves a substitute in advance, and both planting method and spacing must follow Provo's arboricultural standards and specifications.
050 separately requires written City Forester consent before any person alters, removes, or trims a public tree, including one already planted in a parking strip. 050(2): routine watering to keep the tree healthy (an owner who fails to water is liable for the tree's appraised value if it dies), and protecting the tree from damage by lawn mowers, weed trimmers, or snow blowers. A tree planted behind a public sidewalk must also be cared for by the property owner. The whole chapter was substantially rewritten in 2008 (Rep&ReEn 2008-39) and updated again in 2024 (Am 2024-46).
Violations & Fines
Planting, moving, or altering a public parkway tree without written City Forester consent is unlawful under Section 9.20.050 and can trigger liability for the tree's appraised replacement value. Skipping the required strip preparation (irrigation, turf) or occupancy permit means the Forestry Division will not plant a tree under the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay for a parkway tree in Provo?
Can I pick any tree species for my parkway strip?
Who takes care of the tree once it's planted?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Provo
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle parkway planting.