A Tree Removal Permit from the Planning Department Director is required to remove, relocate, or destroy protected trees — common areas, required landscape/street trees, commercial and conservation areas. Private back/side-yard trees are exempt. Approved removals require one-to-one replacement.
Under Manatee County Land Development Code Section 714, 'no person may remove, relocate, or otherwise destroy any tree... without first obtaining a tree removal permit from the Planning Department Director.' This covers trees in common areas, commercial properties, conservation areas, Greenbelt Buffers, and any tree installed as part of a required landscape plan. Applications need a generalized tree inventory. The Director conditions approvals on replacing removed trees at a one-to-one ratio, or a cash payment in lieu (e.g., $445 per 3-inch caliper tree, $585 per 4-inch) deposited into the Tree Protection Trust Fund. Trees in a private back or side yard, and documented-danger removals under FS 163.045, are exempt.
Removing a protected tree without a permit is an LDC violation; the county requires one-to-one replacement or cash-in-lieu payment into the Tree Protection Trust Fund, plus code enforcement fines.
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