Statement on Tree Protection Ordinance Passage

Mayor's Office of Communications

Statement on Tree Protection Ordinance Passage

ATLANTA-The city's first significant rewrite of its Tree Protection Ordinance (TPO) since 2001 was approved by Atlanta City Council. Over the course of several months, and after more than 30 meetings and a work session, the final version of the latest legislation balances the need to strengthen Atlanta's environmental resilience with the city's need for increasing its affordable housing inventory.

"As a multi-generational Atlanta native, I am proud of our beautiful city in the forest. Atlanta has always been a national leader in tree canopy and we have taken measures to protect it for future generations," said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. "Thank you to our Planning team, City Council and everyone who worked together for a greener, more sustainable Atlanta. I look forward to the next steps of the tree preservation work that will align with our land use goals."

Among notable changes in the latest TPO:

• Increasing funding for low-income senior assistance program to $400,000 a year.
• Additional funding for arborists in DCP and one senior arborist for the Department of Parks and Recreation.
• Increases recompense (tree removal fees) to $140 per diameter inch of tree trunk. This increase if effective January 1, 2026. Beginning January 1, 2027, and continuing on an annual basis, the established recompense shall be adjusted to reflect the annual rate of inflation for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers - CPI-U).
• Incentivizes planting instead of recompense by offering credit at 1.25 times the number of caliper inches planted.
• Increases fine for illegal tree removal measured in acres to be in-line with increased recompense; from $100,000/acre to $200,000/acre.

The Department of City Planning is going through Zoning 2.0, and they intend to introduce additional TPO legislation in phases next year to ensure Zoning ordinances and TPO's are in alignment.

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