Trees
Trees are important
Trees promote soil stability, reduce flooding and runoff, filter air pollution and traffic noise, provide shade, and add to the overall livability of Sandy. By caring for the trees on your property, you're making an investment for yourself and future generations, as well as the community.
Trees in Sandy are regulated differently depending on their location, size, and type. The City regulates tree removal as a means to conserve and replenish the ecological, aesthetic, and economic benefits of urban forests. Trees and landscaping help establish a pleasant community character, unify developments, and buffer or screen unsightly features. Planting of trees also soften and buffer large scale structures and parking lots, and to help with energy conservation by providing shade from the sun and shelter from the wind.
Tree Removal Permits Are Required in the Following Situations
- Trees on non-residential zoned property almost always require a permit. In these cases, a Tree Removal Permit, Site Plan, and potentially an arborist report are required.
- Street tree removals always require a permit. In these cases, a Street Tree Removal Application is required.
- Retention Tree and Mitigation tree removal
- Flood Slope Hazard Overlay (FSH) tree removal
When is a permit not necessary?
Normal pruning and maintenance.
- You don't need a permit to prune a street tree abutting your property. However, the City does not allow "topping" of trees, which is the indiscriminate removal of more than 25 percent of a tree's canopy. The advice of an ISA Certified Arborist is always recommended.
- In general, if you need to remove a tree growing on privately owned property that does not have any of the preceding situations in the bulleted list above, you do not need a permit. This is not the case for property over one acre. Please contact the Development Services Department for specifics.
- Contact the Development Services Department if you would like information about caring for trees following storm damage.
The City of Sandy protects our urban forest by reviewing tree removal permits for trees on public property, non-residential property, on property greater than one acre, and in environmentally sensitive areas.
Before you begin your project, please review the below documents or contact us to see if the tree you would like to remove requires a permit. In most cases where a tree removal permit is required, replacement is also required.
WHAT IS THE CITY OF SANDY'S RESPONSIBILITY IN THE FOLLOWING SCENARIOS:
- Tree damage from Private Property:
The City needs to be involved if there is a code enforcement issue or the tree is recorded as a retention tree. Please contact the City of Sandy at planning@ci.sandy.or.us for permit related questions. - Tree Damage from Private Property to City Property:
The City is a neighbor and therefore would be responsible for cleanup and repair of damage from what has fallen from private property onto City property (road, sidewalks, and trails are all examples of this) to make the City property usable and safe. If removal could cause damage to private property, the City will notify the private property owner. - Tree Hazard on City Property:
When trees fall on City property, the City will make every effort to ensure the tree does not result in a hazard to the public. The responsible City department(s) may determine to leave a fallen tree in it's natural state or not clear away the tree when it poses no risk and can improve the natural habitat or provide wildlife benefit.
