Macon-Bibb County, GA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Article II of Chapter 17, the Tree Preservation, Protection and Replacement article, defines 'specimen tree' as a tree that the forester determines is of high value because of its type, size, age or other professional criteria, and that has been formally designated as such in the official records of Macon-Bibb County. This is a discretionary, tree-by-tree protection mechanism rather than a statutory list naming particular species as protected, and it applies within the article's jurisdiction set out in Section 17-31: public rights-of-way and Macon-Bibb County-owned property within the county's limits, not private residential yards generally.

The same definitions section in Section 17-32 defines related terms that govern how a specimen designation interacts with construction and maintenance: 'clearing' means removal of woody vegetation two inches in diameter or greater, 'tree protection zone' means the area around a preserved or planted tree essential to its survival as illustrated in the county's Arboricultural Specifications Manual, and 'land disturbing activity' covers excavation or construction within a tree's drip line. The forester administers specimen-tree determinations with input from the fourteen-member tree commission created by Section 17-33, which advises on ASM standards, hears appeals from forester decisions, and can recommend which trees merit specimen status as part of the county's urban forestry management plan.