Today’s Washington Post had an interesting article, by Frederick Kunkle, about a residential property owner’s removal of trees on his land. For many, the question of the appropriate removal/replacement of trees is a hotly debated topic. The question is, what are the rules in Arlington County? How about our surrounding counties? According to the Arlington County website, there currently are no permits required to remove trees on private property. However, there are some specific exemptions when a permit is required.

The first instance, requiring a permit, would be if a homeowner’s property is within a Historic Area. Permission from the Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board is required to remove a tree if the diameter exceeds 15-inches in diameter.

The second instance, requiring a permit, for removal of ANY vegetation, would be if a homeowner’s property is within a Resource Protection Area (RPA). An RPA is the area located within 100-feet of a stream.

What about trees lost to commercial ventures, infrastructure maintenance and new contstruction? Arlington County has specific rules outlining the replacement of trees based on their species, diameter and condition (click here for more information).

What are the rules of our neighbors? According to Mr. Kunkle, of the Washington Post, some the rules of our neighbors include:

  • District of Columbia requires permits to remove any tree on private property that is bigger than 55 inches around
  • Fairfax County does not prohibit people from cutting down trees unless more than 2,500 square feet of land is disturbed
  • Montgomery County imposes no tree-cutting restrictions on property of about an acre or less