Eagan, MN Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Significant tree
- 6 in. hardwood / 12 in. softwood / 12 ft conifer
- Specimen tree
- 30 in. hardwood diameter or 50 ft conifer height
- Plan trigger
- New development, 10%+ expansion, or grading permit
- Mitigation
- Per-diameter-inch fee or on-site reforestation
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 11.30 and 11.70
Summary
Eagan requires a city-approved tree preservation plan before new development, new building construction, a ten-percent-or-greater expansion, or any project needing a grading permit under City Code § 11.70, Subd. 13. The code protects trees by size and species class, defined in § 11.30, rather than by an endangered-species list, and charges a per-diameter-inch mitigation fee when removal exceeds the allowed limits.
B.Tree preservation plan.1.Scope of application. A tree preservation plan shall be submitted to and approved by the city and implemented in accordance therewith in connection with any of the following:(a)New development in any zoning district;(b)New building construction in any zoning district;(c)Expansion of any existing commercial, industrial or institutional building or impervious surface by ten percent or greater square feet, where an approved tree preservation plan is not on file with the city; and(d)Any project for which a city grading permit is required. ... 4.Mitigation.(a)In any development that the tree/woodland allowable removal limits are exceeded, the applicant shall mitigate the tree loss by either reforestation of (tree replacement) appropriate areas within the development area, in accordance with the tree replacement schedule, or payment to the city of the sum per diameter inch calculated from the total amount of diameter inches of the required replacement trees in accordance with the tree replacement schedule.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 11.30 defines the tree classes Eagan protects: a "significant tree" is a healthy tree at least six inches in diameter for hardwood deciduous species, 12 inches for softwood deciduous species, or 12 feet tall for coniferous/evergreen trees, while a "specimen tree" is a hardwood deciduous tree of 30 inches or more in diameter or a coniferous tree 50 feet or taller. "Hardwood deciduous tree" is defined by name to include ironwood, catalpa, oak, hard maple, walnut, ash, hickory, birch, black cherry, hackberry, locust, and basswood; "softwood deciduous tree" covers cottonwood, poplar/aspen, box elder, willow, silver maple, and elm.
Under § 11.70, Subd. 13.B.1, a tree preservation plan must be submitted and approved before any new development in any zoning district, new building construction, an expansion of an existing commercial, industrial, or institutional building or impervious surface by ten percent or more without a plan already on file, or any project needing a city grading permit. Subd. 13.A ties this to a council finding that protecting wooded areas serves the public health, safety, and welfare and that clearcutting during development should be minimized. When removal exceeds the allowable limits, Subd.
13's mitigation clause requires the applicant to either reforest an equivalent area on-site or pay the city a fee calculated per diameter inch of the required replacement trees, using the rate set in the city fee schedule and deposited into a dedicated tree mitigation account. Community Development reviews the plan at the site-plan or grading-permit stage before construction begins.
Violations & Fines
Clearing significant or specimen trees, or a significant woodland, without an approved tree preservation plan on file violates § 11.70, Subd. 13; the city can require reforestation or the per-diameter-inch mitigation fee, hold up the grading or building permit, and § 11.99 makes the underlying chapter 11 violation punishable as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eagan
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