Tree Removal / Habitat / Environmental Compliance

Check for Service Area Do you live in one of 24 Pinellas County's cities or in unincorporated Pinellas?

Customer Service Please take our Customer Survey

Examples of Exotic Invasive Trees

Brazilian Pepper

Chinese Tallow

Punk

Silt Fencing: Wrong

Silt Fencing: Correct

Service Area: Unincorporated Pinellas County, including Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Indian Shores, and Redington Shores. Citizens in remaining areas will need to contact their cities directly.

 

Pinellas County Municode: Chapter 138 Division 3 and Chapter 166

 

Environmental and Natural Resource Protection:

Trees and native vegetative communities provide and maintain beneficial public resources. Protection of such vegetation is important. It is vital to perpetuate adequate tree numbers, preserve native vegetative communities, require replanting of vegetation, require landscaping of vehicular use areas, manage undesirable plant material, protect and preserve wildlife and its habitat, and provide a tree bank fund for furthering this intent.

 

For questions, call the tree line at
(727) 464-3480 or email.

 

Applications for Tree Removal and/or Construction:

• FAQ: The FAQ is being revised to address changes to the Land Development Code (2019) and as a result of Florida House Bill 1159 (2019).
• Removal of trees in unincorporated areas on private property:
  • Commercial/Multi-family/New Single Family
  • Single Family - Existing Trees Only Our tree removal services have moved to a new system (find it in the Development Review section)! Please visit our Pinellas County Access Portal information page for more information and instructions.
    

Exotic Tree Removal:

• Sec. 138-3653 : Undesirable Trees/Plants
• Undesirable Plant Species List
• Undesirable plant species removal requires a permit, but most are not assessed a fee. In designated conservation easements and wetlands regulated under F.S. 373 and F.S. 403, a removal plan must be approved by the department addressing targeted species, extent and method of removal, stabilization measures, etc.

 

Landscaping Options:

• Approved Tree Species to Replant (3/25/2019)
• Sec. 138-3658 : Residential
• Sec. 138-3659 : Non-Residential and Multi-family
• Sec. 138-3651 : Application of Landscape Regulations and Required Maintenance
• Sec. 166-57 : Tree bank fund
• Sec. 138-3657 : Street Trees

 

Habitat Management and Protection:

• Article II : Habitat Management & Protection

• Protection:

  • Sec. 166-49 : Vegetation protection during construction.
    • All trees 4S dbh or greater, or any vegetation within wetland and/or upland buffer areas.
  • Sec. 166-50 : Upland buffer adjacent to wetlands.
  • Sec. 166-52 : Protection of endangered, threatened, or species of special concern.
• Vegetation Maintenance:
  • Sec. 138-3651 : Application of Landscape Regulations and Required Maintenance.
  • Sec. 166-56 : Vegetation Installation and Maintenance.

 

Other Environmental Regulations

Removal of Trees from Public Right-of-Way:

• Tree removal within the public right-of-way requires a Right-of-Way Utilization Permit.

Mangrove Trimming:

• Sec. 58-605 : Exemptions
• Mangrove Trimming website

Additional Resources:

• Pinellas County Environmental Management - Watershed Management protects and improves the environmental and aesthetic quality of the County surface waters such as creeks, streams, lakes, bays, and coastal waters.
• Pinellas County Mangrove Resources - Mangroves are protected by the State's "Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act" and the enforcement of this statute has been delegated to Pinellas County.

 

 

 

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