Gainesville, FL Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Not every regulated tree in Gainesville gets equal protection. Ordinary regulated trees, those eight inches or greater in diameter breast height, need a removal permit only when tied to development review. But Sec. 1 singles out single-family lots for tighter scrutiny: on property with a single-family dwelling, a removal permit is required only for a champion or heritage tree, meaning every other regulated tree can come down without city sign-off. A heritage tree, defined at Sec. 1, is any tree over 20 inches diameter breast height, except water oak, laurel oak, sweetgum, loblolly pine and slash pine, which must exceed 30 inches.

A champion tree is the largest of its species listed in Florida's Champion Tree Register kept by the state Division of Forestry, and Sec. A gives the tree advisory board, not staff, sole authority to approve or deny removing, relocating or replacing one. High-quality heritage trees (species named on the Gainesville Tree List) removed in fair or better condition require mitigation payment based on appraised value, capped at three trees per acre, or inch-for-inch replacement if the property exceeds that cap; heritage trees in less than fair condition require two high-quality shade trees planted for each one removed.

During construction, Sec. 5-gauge wire with two-and-three-eighths-inch mesh, secured to a depth of three feet, well beyond the wood-and-mesh barricades used for ordinary regulated trees. Subdivisions must also be designed under Sec. 3 to avoid or minimize heritage tree removal through alternative site layouts before a permit will be considered.