Do you need a tree removal permit in Athens, GA?

For some trees. Athens requires a permit for certain trees or certain sites, not every tree. Athens-Clarke County's Community Tree Management Ordinance protects county trees, Landmark trees, and trees planted or kept to meet the ordinance. Outside the Milledge Avenue Overlay District, the county says it does not regulate trees on private lots not developed since 2005, but it does regulate timber harvesting, and removing 5 or more trees on larger parcels needs a Notice of Timber Harvesting first. Properties with an approved site plan or Tree Management Plan must follow that plan. Our confidence: high. Short explanation, not legal advice.

Protected trees are Athens-Clarke County trees, Landmark trees, and trees planted or conserved to meet the ordinance. They may not be removed without just cause. If removal drops a property below its canopy requirement, or the tree counted as a parking lot or street tree, it must be replaced. Overlay districts, environmental areas, and properties with an approved site plan or Tree Management Plan have extra rules.

Trees owned by Athens-Clarke County are protected trees. The county's review flowchart says to contact the Community Forester before removing a tree in the county right-of-way.

The ordinance will never require a hazardous tree to be kept on an urban site. A protected tree may be removed if a Certified Arborist, Registered Forester or county agent finds it dead or unhealthy, with more than 50% crown dieback, large trunk wounds, serious limb defects, an unresolvable hazard conflict with infrastructure, or a pest or disease likely to spread. Non-protected private trees found diseased, insect infested, or a danger to people or property may be removed without notice.

Start with the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department (the county flowchart lists 706-613-3515); the County Arborist handles properties with an approved site plan or Tree Management Plan. For a parcel over one acre, the flowchart says removing 5 or more trees needs a Notice of Timber Harvesting before any removal. For a tree in the county right-of-way, contact the Community Forester.

The county's Removing Trees sheet says non-exempt properties that remove trees may face a five-year timeout on development.

HOA rules can be stricter; check yours. Read your HOA covenants or ask the board before work starts.

Your address, the tree species if you know it, the trunk width measured about 4.5 feet above the ground, photos of the whole tree, and whether it is near the street, a sidewalk or a power line. Ask if a permit is needed and how long it takes.

Some do and some do not. Ask before you sign, and get it in writing who applies and who pays the fee. In many places the property owner is the one responsible for following the rules.

No. It is a short, plain summary of public rules with links to the official sources. For a firm answer on your property, ask the city or a local attorney.