Oro Valley, AZ Tree Protection: Tree Ordinances (2026)

Town Code Chapter 24 forms the backbone of Oro Valleys native plant and tree protection framework. The ordinance applies to all land disturbance activities including grading, construction, demolition, and vegetation clearing. Key provisions include: mandatory Native Plant Inventory for development sites; identification and tagging of all protected plants before clearing; preservation-in-place requirements for significant specimens; a salvage hierarchy for plants that cannot be preserved; mitigation requirements and fee-in-lieu options; enforcement through civil penalties and stop-work orders. The ordinance works in conjunction with the Towns Zoning Code (Title 22), particularly the Hillside Development Zone and Environmental Resource Overlay, which provide additional landscape preservation standards. Residential property owners are also subject to the ordinance when removing protected native plants, though individual tree removal on developed lots may have streamlined procedures. The Town periodically updates the protected plant list in coordination with Arizona Department of Agriculture classifications.