El Paso County, CO Tree Protection: Tree Replacement Requirements (2026)

Tree replacement in Colorado Springs follows CSCC §4.7.107. Street trees removed under permit require 1:1 same-species replacement or approved alternative per Forestry's Approved Street Tree List. Development-plan tree removals typically require 2:1 replacement. Heritage Trees require 3:1 replacement with specimen-size trees (minimum 4-inch caliper). Minimum caliper for standard replacement: 2-inch B&B (balled and burlapped). Approved species list favors drought-tolerant, non-invasive natives: Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Honeylocust cultivars, Kentucky Coffeetree, Chinkapin Oak, and Ponderosa Pine. Prohibited: Russian Olive, Siberian Elm, Tree of Heaven, Fraxinus (ash, due to Emerald Ash Borer quarantine). Fee-in-lieu option to the Colorado Springs Tree Fund: $350-$500 per inch DBH removed, used for citywide reforestation. Black Forest and El Paso County developments require ponderosa-specific replacement plans per LDC §5.2.12. Maintenance warranty required 1-2 years post-planting. Post-Black Forest Fire replanting efforts replaced 100,000+ trees through state and private programs. Colorado Springs Utilities offers tree rebates for water-wise species under the "xeriscape" program.