Escambia County, FL Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC 4-5.4, threatened/endangered species habitat
- Mitigation required
- Before any approval threatening listed species
- PKBM habitat identified
- ~278 acres, Perdido Key
- Annual assessment
- $201 per dwelling unit
- Federal permit
- Incidental Take Permit #TE46592A
Summary
Escambia County bars development that threatens threatened or endangered species habitat unless the applicant first secures an approved mitigation plan under LDC section 4-5.4. Perdido Key gets its own rule: about 278 acres of dune habitat for the federally endangered Perdido Key beach mouse carries a recurring $201-per-unit annual assessment for projects that choose in-lieu-fee mitigation instead of on-site protection.
(a)Protection required. To maintain and enhance the valuable diversity and distribution of plant and animal species within the county, preserve the ecological values and functions of their habitats, provide for habitat corridors and minimize habitat fragmentation, threatened and endangered species habitat shall be protected from adverse impacts. For the purposes of this article, threatened or endangered species are those listed as "threatened", "endangered", or "species of special concern" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); and threatened or endangered species habitat is any area that contains or shows factual evidence of such listed species.(b)Mitigation. No development approval may be granted without an approved mitigation plan if the permitted activities would threaten the life or habitat of any threatened or endangered species.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 113).
Full Breakdown
Escambia County's natural resources article protects habitat, not individual trees, but it is the closest thing the LDC has to a species-driven clearing restriction. S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, be protected from adverse impacts when land is cleared or developed. 4(b) bars county approval of any development that would threaten the life or habitat of a listed species unless the applicant has an approved mitigation plan first. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lodging and commercial projects are assessed instead by parking space count or by the number authorized under that same permit.
Violations & Fines
Clearing or building on identified threatened or endangered species habitat without an approved mitigation plan is barred under section 4-5.4(b); review under section 4-5.2 reaches any development impacting environmentally sensitive lands, including listed-species habitat, unless the LDC specifically exempts it. Variances follow the compliance review process of LDC chapter 2 and must still satisfy this article's stated purposes. On Perdido Key, failing to pay the beach mouse special assessment tied to a parcel under an active mitigation election is a separate compliance failure the county tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Escambia County protect trees on my property?
What is the Perdido Key beach mouse assessment?
How are commercial or lodging projects assessed instead of by dwelling unit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Escambia County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Escambia County to another location·View the Florida tree protection overview
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