Gaithersburg, MD Tree Protection: Tree Ordinances (2026)

Montgomery County protects trees through multiple overlapping regulations. Chapter 22A, the Forest Conservation Law, requires forest conservation plans for most development activities and protects individual trees 6 inches DBH and larger on development sites. Chapter 49A, the Roadside Tree Law, protects all trees within or overhanging the public right-of-way and requires MCDOT permits for any pruning or removal. M-NCPPC regulations protect trees on all parkland, which covers roughly one-third of the county. The county also enforces tree protection during construction through sediment control permits, requiring tree save fencing around the critical root zone (defined as 1 foot of radius per inch of trunk diameter) of protected trees. No grading, trenching, material storage, or equipment operation is permitted within tree save areas. The Tree Montgomery program offers free shade trees to county residents and provides educational resources on proper tree care. The county arborist within MCDOT advises on roadside tree issues, and the M-NCPPC environmental planning staff reviews forest conservation plans.