Showing ordinances that apply to Ajo, AZ
Ajo is an unincorporated community (population 3,039) in Pima County, Arizona. Because Ajo is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Pima County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The tree removal permits rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Pima County Code Ch. 18.72 requires permits for native plant removal during development. ARS 3-904 makes destroying saguaro, ironwood, or palo verde without an ADA permit a Class 4 felony.
Pima County has robust native plant protection through its Zoning Code Chapter 18.72 (Native Plant Preservation Ordinance). During any development or grading activity, a Native Plant Preservation Plan must be submitted identifying all protected plants on the site. Salvageable plants must be transplanted or donated. ARS 3-904 and the Arizona Native Plant Law make it a Class 4 felony to knowingly destroy, mutilate, or remove protected native plants (including saguaro cacti, ironwood trees, palo verde trees, and mesquite) without a permit from the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Even on private property, landowners must obtain ADA notification tags before removing protected species. The county requires a landscape plan for all new development showing retention of native vegetation. Grading permits trigger mandatory native plant surveys.
Destroying a protected native plant without ADA permit: Class 4 felony under ARS 3-904, up to 3.75 years imprisonment and substantial fines. County violations: stop-work orders, mitigation requirements, denial of future permits.
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