Trees and Street Trees

Image showing the benefit of urban trees including health, bio-diversity, stormwater, stress, and more.

Before You Plant, Prune, or Remove a Tree In McMinnville, trees play a vital role in enriching our community. If you're planning to plant, prune, or remove a tree, it's important to check whether a permit is required. This small but crucial step helps protect the health and beauty of our local greenery and ensures compliance with city regulations. For more details, please refer to the FAQs below or find Street Tree Removal Permit forms [here].

The Value of Street Trees Street trees do more than beautify our neighborhoods—they provide countless benefits that enhance life in McMinnville. Here’s why they matter:

  • Environmental Impact: Trees clean the air by absorbing pollutants like carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. They also offer shade that reduces temperatures by 20–45°F, helping save energy on air conditioning.
  • Economic Value: Over its lifetime, a single street tree can provide up to $90,000 in benefits, including boosting property values. Homes near trees can increase in value by $7,000, while entire tree-lined streets may see an average increase of $22,000 per home!
  • Health and Safety: Trees encourage walking and outdoor activity, promoting better physical health. They also slow traffic when strategically placed, making streets safer for pedestrians.
  • Noise Reduction: Acting as natural sound barriers, trees reduce urban noise levels, creating a calmer, more peaceful environment.
  • Stress Relief: Green spaces and street trees uplift moods, lower stress, and improve overall mental health. Being close to nature fosters relaxation and cognitive well-being

Street trees are essential to what makes McMinnville a wonderful place to live. Let’s work together to preserve and care for them!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tree Regulations: Private Trees vs. Street Trees

Regulations for privately owned trees and street trees are different. You can find the tree regulations in Chapter 17.58 of the McMinnville Zoning Ordinance.

How to identify Street Trees:

  • Trees that are fully or partially within the right-of-way (the area between your property line and the street) are considered street trees and are regulated by the City.
  • New developments usually have a curb, gutter, planter strip, and sidewalk between the street and your property line, but this can vary.
  • It's your responsibility to know your property lines.
Category: Tree Regulations
I Want To Remove A Tree

Private Property

You don't need a permit to remove a tree on private property unless it's part of a Landscape Plan or the project is undergoing developmont review. Landscape Plans usually apply to commercial, industrial, apartment, and religious properties.

Street Trees

Trees are regulated by Chapter 17.58 of the McMinnville Zoning Ordinance.

You need a permit to remove a tree if:

  • The tree trunk is partly or fully in a public area or right-of-way.
  • The tree is undergoing development review (e.g., site plan, tentative partition, or subdivision review).

Getting Approval:

  1. Find the Tree Removal Permit applications on the Applications and Fees page.
  2. Apply for a "Simple" or "Complex" Tree Removal Permit to remove a Street Tree.
  3. There might be requirements for how trees are removed and the need to plant new trees.
  4. Street trees must be planted with a tree from the McMinnville Street Tree List or from the Street Tree Plan associated with your subdivision.

Simple Street Tree Removal Permit

A street tree may be removed if an Arborist Report shows removal is required for one of the following reasons:

  1. Hazard: The tree is a hazard, and pruning or other options won't fix it.
  2. Dead or Dying: The tree is dead or in advanced decline.
  3. Nuisance or Invasive: The tree is on Oregon’s nuisance list or the OSU Extension's list of invasive trees.
  4. Pests or Disease: The tree is infested with pests or disease.
  5. Damage to Infrastructure: The tree roots are causing damage to sidewalks or infrastructure, and it can’t be fixed without removing the tree.
  6. Physical Damage: The tree is physically damaged and needs removal for safety or health reasons.
  7. Development or Public Projects: The removal is part of an approved development, public improvement project, or street tree improvement program.
  8. Protected Trees: If the tree is on a Heritage Tree list or similar, it must meet additional protection requirements.
  9. Simple Tree Removal Permit applications are on the Applications and Fees page.

Note: An Arborist Report may not be needed if the tree is clearly dead.

Typical Processing Time:

  • Permits usually take 5 business days.

Complex Street Tree Removal Permit Guidelines

A Complex Tree Removal Permit may be granted by the Landscape Review Committee when for one of the following reasons:

  1. Public Purpose: The tree needs to be removed for a reason not covered by the Simple Tree Removal Permit, and you're not just trying to avoid those requirements.
  2. Public Health/Safety: Removing the tree will help protect public health, safety, welfare, or achieve a public goal or program in the City's plans, goals, or policies.
  3. Urban Forest Health: The removal supports the overall health of the urban forest, including maintaining healthy and attractive street trees.
  4. Complex Tree Removal Permit applications are on the Applications and Fees page.

Typical Processing Time:

  • Permits usually take 14 to 30 days to process.
Category: Tree Regulations
Street Tree Pruning Guidelines

Private Property:

No permits are needed to prune trees on private property.

Street Trees:

You need a permit to prune a street tree if:

  • More than 20% of the tree's canopy is being removed.
  • Tree topping is involved.
  • Over 10% of the root system is disturbed.

Getting a Major Pruning Permit: A permit may be issued if an Arborist Report shows:

  1. The pruning is necessary to reduce hazards, improve tree health/structure, or enhance aesthetics, following arboricultural practices.
  2. The pruning aligns with public standards like vision clearance, vertical clearance above sidewalks/roads, or separation from overhead utilities.
  3. The pruning will not harm the tree's health and follows accepted arboricultural practices (e.g., International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) standards).
  4. If the tree is on a protected list (e.g., Heritage Trees), additional requirements for protection must be met. [No Hertiage Trees are adopted at this time]
  5. See Section 17.58.050(B) of the Zoning Ordinance for regulations regarding pruning.
  6. Major Pruning Permit applications are on the Applications and Fees page.

Typical Processing Time:

  • Permits usually take 14 to 30 days to process.
Category: Tree Regulations
Street Tree Maintenance Guidelines

If you have a street tree next to your property, it's your responsibility to keep it healthy and ensure it doesn't block sidewalks.

How to Maintain Street Trees:

  1. Watering and Weeding: Regularly water and weed around the tree to keep it healthy.
  2. Pruning: As the tree grows, you need to prune it for safety:
    • At least 8 feet above sidewalks.
    • At least 13 feet above local streets.
    • At least 15 feet above collector streets.
    • At least 18 feet above arterial streets.
  3. Replacement: If a tree needs to be replaced, be sure to apply for a Street Tree Removal permit first.

By following these guidelines, you help keep our streets safe and beautiful!

Category: Tree Regulations
Downtown Trees

Street trees in the Downtown Tree Zone have special rules for removal and major pruning, as stated in Section 17.58.045 of the Zoning Ordinance. The city will handle pruning and removing these trees. Please contact Public Works to schedule.

Location of Downtown Tree Zone:

  • North: Fifth Street
  • South: First Street
  • East: Johnson Street
  • West: Adams Street

 

Category: Tree Regulations

Supporting Documents

PDF icon McMinnville Street Tree List (835 KB)
PDF icon Street Tree Planting Detail (99 KB)
PDF icon Downtown Street Tree Planting Detail (96 KB)
PDF icon Downtown Tree Zone Map (221 KB)
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