DeKalb County, GA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

The county's approach starts with a size-based definition instead of a protected-species list. Section 14-1 defines a significant tree as any existing, healthy, living tree eight inches DBH (diameter at breast height) or greater, so a common species qualifies just as readily as a rare one once its trunk reaches that measurement. Each qualifier in the definition matters: the tree must already exist on the tract, must be healthy, and must be living, so dead or failing trees do not count toward the protected inventory.

The preservation duty in § 14-39(g)(1) attaches when significant trees exist on a tract of land for which a covered permit is sought. It is measured per acre and offers alternative yardsticks: 120 inches of cumulative DBH per acre, or 25 percent of the existing significant trees per acre. The site must preserve whichever of the yardsticks is less, so the floor adjusts to how heavily wooded the tract actually is rather than imposing one fixed count everywhere. Preservation must happen on the site itself. 'Specimen trees' receive added protection under the same section, and the ordinance applies to development permits in unincorporated DeKalb County.