(A) When protected, heritage or ancestral trees are removed, tree replacement is required as outlined in Table 16.401 except in those provisions contained in § 150.775.
(B) Replacement trees will also be required to replace any trees that were planted or identified to be preserved in a tree replacement plan, but died within two years of the date the certificate of occupancy was issued.
(C) Each replacement tree shall be a minimum of two caliper inches unless otherwise approved by the City Arborist.
(D) Available planting area. Replacement trees should be planted on the site or easement from which existing trees are removed. If this is not feasible, a person may initiate a proposal to plant trees off-site. This may be acceptable if the planting site is in reasonable proximity to the project area and approved by the City Arborist.
(E) Survival potential. Before agreeing to any replacement option, the City Arborist will assess the probability that trees planted will survive. This typically requires that some type of irrigation system be implemented for a minimum of two years. Irrigation may not be required if it can be demonstrated that, given the size and type of trees planted, the planting site and the time of year the trees are planted, the mortality rate is likely to be low.
(F) Quantities of replacement trees.
(1) Replacement tree values will be expressed in terms of caliper inches. The minimum size acceptable for replacement will be two caliper inches. The replacement schedule is located in Table 16.401.
(2) Any condition requiring the planting of a replacement tree(s) must be met within 12 months after removal of the protected tree.
(3) Table 16.401; tree replacement schedule.
Type | Protected, Heritage, or Ancestral Tree | Tree Replacement Ratio |
Type | Protected, Heritage, or Ancestral Tree | Tree Replacement Ratio |
Tree removal permit | Protected tree | 1/3 of the total diameter |
Tree removal permit | Heritage tree | 1:1 |
Tree removal permit | Ancestral tree | 2:1 |
Tree removal through site plan | Protected tree | 1:1 |
Tree removal through site plan | Heritage tree | 2:1 |
Tree removal through site plan | Ancestral tree | 3:1 |
(G) Types of replacement trees.
(1) In order to enhance the general quality of the urban forest, certain restrictions will be placed on the types of trees which will be allowed to serve as replacements for trees removed. Unless site conditions prohibit it, 75% of the total caliper inches of replacement trees must be represented by large canopy trees (Table 16.402). The remaining 25% can be a mixture of small trees (Table 16.402). All trees selected must be suitable to the planting site. A minimum of five different species must be planted if more than 50 caliper inches of trees are required. This is to prevent large monocultures of any single tree species, which increase the chance of disease epidemics. The planting of thin bark red oaks near oak wilt centers is discouraged.
(2) Table 16.402; tree replacement.
Large Tree Replacement List | Small Tree Replacement List |
Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica) Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) Big Tooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum) Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa Catalpa (Catalpa bignoniodes) Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muhlenbergii) Chitalpa (Chilopsisx Catalpa) Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) Drake Elm (Ulmus parvifolia "Drake") Escarpment Cherry (Prunus serotina) Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) Lacey Oak (Quercus glaucoides) Little Walnut (Juglans microcarpa) Live Oak (Quercus fusiformis) Monterrey Oak (Quercus polymorpha) Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) Texas Red Oak (Quercus texana) Texas Sycamore or Mexican Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis glabrata) Shumard Red Oak (Quercus shumardii) | American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus) Anacacho Orchid Tree (Bauhinia lunarioides) Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) Eve's Necklace (Sophora affinis) Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus copallina and glabra) Goldenball Lead-tree (Leucaena retresa) Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana) Lindheimer silktassel (Garrya lindheimeri) Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana) Mexican Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. "Mexicana") Possumhaw Holly (Ilex deciduas) Smooth Leaf Sumac (Rhus glabra) Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) Texas Pistache (Pistacia texana) Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. "Texensis") Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) |