Rowlett requires City review/approval to remove 'protected trees' (8-inch caliper or larger at DBH, non-invasive) under Development Code Sec. 77-504. The City uses a Vegetation Removal/Pruning Permit process; removal triggers replacement planting or a fee-in-lieu of $121.67 per caliper inch to the Reforestation Fund.
Removing protected trees in Rowlett is regulated through the Community Development Department, Planning and Urban Design Division under Development Code Chapter 77 (Sec. 77-504). A 'protected tree' is a tree with an 8-inch caliper trunk or larger measured at DBH (four and one-half feet above ground) that is determined not to be an invasive species. The City publishes a Vegetation Removal/Pruning Permit checklist and a Plant Material/Protected Tree Guide; applicants submit a tree survey/plan to Planning at 5702 Rowlett Road, (972) 463-3927. When protected trees are removed, mitigation is required - either replanting replacement trees on site or, as an alternative to planting, paying a fee-in-lieu of $121.67 per caliper inch removed to the City of Rowlett Reforestation Fund. Texas Local Government Code Sec. 250.008 governs how Texas cities may regulate tree removal on residential property and requires that owners be allowed tree-planting credits against removal, which Rowlett's mitigation framework accommodates. Routine pruning of a homeowner's own non-protected tree generally does not require a permit, but separate 'take area' vegetation work has its own permit checklist.
Removing a protected tree without the required approval can result in Development Code enforcement and after-the-fact mitigation - replanting replacement trees or paying the $121.67-per-caliper-inch fee - plus municipal penalties. Because mitigation is assessed per caliper inch, unauthorized removal of large or multiple protected trees carries substantial cost exposure.
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