The city has adopted standards for the preservation of trees as part of the land development and building construction process for the purpose of making the City of Dunwoody a more attractive place to live, provide a healthy living environment, and to better maintain control of flooding, noise, glare and soil erosion. The standards can be found in Chapter 16, Division 6: Tree Preservation of the Code of Ordinances.

Dunwoody has roughly 150 miles of public rights of way with a dense tree canopy consisting of a mix of native pines and hardwoods, as well as some invasive plant materials and nuisance trees. Dunwoody also has over 170 acres of parks and other public property, which feature mature trees, mature stands of trees, and forested areas.

During the Comprehensive Land Use Planning process, the city recognized a need to complete a tree inventory and assessment of the urban forest, and create and implement a best management plan to promote the long-term survivability of this valuable natural resource.

In 2012, the city adopted a comprehensive Tree Inventory and Assessment as an amendment to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The Tree Inventory and Assessment included inspections and inventory of the trees on public property. The completed Tree Inventory and Assessment is now used in caring for Dunwoody’s urban forest.

To protect natural resources, the City of Dunwoody requires a 75-foot buffer of undisturbed area around streams. In general, no land disturbance or tree removal is allowed within the established 75-foot buffer without proper permits from the State and/or Dunwoody.  Unpermitted work within stream buffers may result in citations which could carry penalties of up to $1000 per violation or up to six months in jail. Click here to learn more.

For portions of single-family lots located outside of the 75-foot - stream buffer, a tree removal permit is not required. Trees slated for removal that are located within the 75-ft. stream buffer require a tree removal permit as well as a certified arborist’s report highlighting their condition.  It is also important to note that Dunwoody DOES have a minimum density rule (see Sec. 16-109(b)(2) of the City’s Tree Ordinance). This means that if single-family homeowners do not preserve a certain number of existing trees on their property (based upon square footage), they will be required to plant new trees to ensure that site density is being met.

On non-residential, mixed-use, and multi-family zoned lots, a tree removal permit is required for the removal of any hardwood with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of ten inches or greater, softwoods with a DBH of 20 inches or greater, and understory trees with a DBH of six inches or greater.

In addition to the exception listed above for single-family lots, a tree removal permit is not required for the following (link to the Code of the City of Dunwoody):

• Any hardwood less than ten inches of DBH, softwood less than 20 inches of DBH, and understory trees less than six inches of DBH on non-residential, mixed-use, and multi-family zoned lots, with the exception of any tree located within the city's 75-foot stream buffer
• Any tree as necessary for construction, repair, or maintenance of public assets, including but not limited to the right-of-way, public roads, utilities, or drainage structures
• Any trees damaged during the period of an emergency, such as a tornado, ice storm, windstorm or other act of nature whereby the community development director or his/her designee may waive the requirements of this section

To obtain a tree removal permit, the owner/applicant shall submit the following information:

• A completed tree removal permit application
• A site plan, or a detailed map sketch illustrating the species, approximate size, and location of each existing tree to be removed and preserved
• Picture of each tree to be removed, including any particular evidence of dead, diseased, dying, insect-infested, or hazardous trees
• Payment of the applicable tree removal permit fee as listed on the City of Dunwoody fee schedule

In cases where the aforementioned information is not sufficient to accurately review the removal and replacement of trees, the city arborist may request additional information from the applicant (i.e. tree survey, tree replacement plan, third party arborist report, and/or planting plan).

Creating An Acceptable Site Plan For Tree Removal Permits on Single-Family Properties

Steps for Downloading an Aerial Photo with Tree Canopies

1. Visit the City's SmartMap website.
2. Type in the property address in the top left corner of the screen.
                                                                           
3. At the bottom of the screen, second from left, click on the icon called "Layer List."
                  
4. Check the box/turn on the layer called "Nearmap Aerial (Updated Quarterly)." If the view is not clear enough AND only if the property has not changed since 2020, the layer "Dunwoody Aerial 2020" may be used instead.
   
5. The aerial should be saved as a PDF, with the trees slated for removal identified with an "X" and the overall property square footage written on the PDF, before being uploaded to the applicant's permit.

Steps for Determining the Presence of Stream Buffers

1. Follows steps 1-4 above for downloading an aerial photo with tree canopies.
2. Turn on the layer for "State Waters." 
                                                                                       
3. If you see a yellow and pink buffer cross the property, then the City's 75-foot stream buffer is present on the property. If the screen does not change, then there is no stream buffer on the property.
                            
4. If the trees being removed fall within the stream buffer, a prescription or letter from an ISA-certified arborist highlighting the trees' condition as DDH (dead, diseased/dying, hazardous) is required to avoid the variance process.
5. The aerial should be saved as a PDF, with the trees slated for removal identified with an "X" and the overall property square footage written on the PDF, before being uploaded to the applicant's permit.

Have Questions?

For more information or questions about trees on public property, please email Amy Bledsoe or call 678-382-6820.