Urban Forestry Management

Owl in tree

The Urban Forestry Management Section implements and enforces the Urban Forestry ordinance(PDF, 327KB), which protects healthy and significant trees and ensures planting of trees with land development to achieve the city’s goal of 30 percent overall canopy cover. 

 

Do I Need A Tree Removal Permit?

 If you have dying or hazardous trees to remove or if you have one (but no more than one) healthy tree to remove, you need a tree removal permit.

Do I Need an Urban Forestry Permit?

An Urban Forestry Permit is required for, but not limited to:

•  New construction that requires a building or grading permit.

•  Building expansions or additions that are >3,000 sf or 30% of existing urbanforestry3.jpg

    structure.

•  Clearing, Grading, and/or Paving including construction or

    reconstruction of a parking lot, or other flatwork or land disturbance.

• Filling, if fill is to be placed within 50 feet of existing trees.

•  Sites to be used for urban agriculture.

•  Public projects requiring removal of trees 6” or larger in diameter.

•  Change of use from one- or two-family residential to any other use.

•  Removal of trees that measure 6” diameter or greater at 4.5 ft. above

    the ground.

 Exemptions:

•  Construction or reconstruction of a single one- or two-family residence located

    on a lot that is less than one acre in size, if common ownership of lots within

    the platted block is less than one acre. 

•  Development within a Designated Design District.

How to apply for a permit

• Download the Urban Forestry Application.

• Application forms, calculations and site plans may be submitted electronically through the City’s online permitting system.     Click here for submittal instructions.

• An Excel Spreadsheet is available to facilitate permit calculations. Click here(XLSX, 298KB) to download the Urban Forestry Calculation Spreadsheet.

What About Trees in the Right-of-Way?

urbanforestry2.jpg Planting, pruning, or removing trees in the City Right-of-Way requires authorization from the Park & Recreation Department Forestry Section. This includes tree planting or removal in parkways of residential subdivisions. Permit applications and additional information on hazard abatement, tree planting programs, and management of trees on public property may be found at Park & Recreation Forestry website

About Us

Forrest of treesThe Urban Forestry Management Section has jurisdiction over the preservation and removal of trees on private property in accordance with Fort Worth City Ordinance.  The City’s goal is to achieve a multi-aged urban forest for sustainable ecological balance, with thirty percent tree canopy city-wide. This is achieved by requiring property owners to preserve a portion of existing tree canopy and plant new trees to replace those removed due to construction or other development activities.  Preservation of mature healthy trees is incentivized through credits for preservation and mitigation requirements for their removal.   

Benefits

Benefits of Urban Trees 

Benefits of Tree Canopy in Fort Worthurbanforestry1.jpg

  • shade and shelter
  • increase property value
  • enhance the visual landscape
  • decrease cooling costs
  • filter pollutants
  • shield us from harmful ultraviolet rays
  • create desirable living and working spaces
  • encourage patronage of businesses
  • minimize soil erosion and stormwater runoff

Our Trees

Click the button to learn more about North Fort Worth Trees.

Future Asks

Click the button to see the interactive map of existing Urban Forests.