Salem’s regulations for privately-owned trees and City-owned trees differ. The first step to knowing what tree regulations apply is to identify the property boundaries and determine if the tree or planting location is on your property.

The area between your property line and the street is owned by the City, and trees within this strip are City-owned trees. Similarly, trees in Salem parks and other City-owned properties are City-owned trees.

Tax Assessor’s Map

You can use your property's tax lot number to look up the tax assessor’s map that includes your lot. Assessor’s maps are regularly updated maps that are drawn to scale based on the latest recorded surveys and plats of the area. They usually include lot dimensions for all sides of your property, but they do not show the location of buildings, driveways, or other improvements. These maps should help you locate property corner pins on your property. County tax assessor maps for Marion and Polk counties are available at www.ormap.net.

Contact the City

The City can provide information based on available records and satellite and aerial imagery from our mapping programs. This information can often be the quickest way to determine whether a tree is on private property or City property. Contact Development Service at 503-588-6211.

Use Original Building Records

If there is an existing structure on the property that required building permits, there is a possibility that the City may have an archived copy the original building plans on file, including a site plan that shows the property boundaries and lot dimensions. You must make a public records request through the City’s Legal Department in order to obtain old site plans.

Hire a Licensed Surveyor

A licensed surveyor can locate your property lines and determine if the tree in question or a potential planting location is within your property.

Some trees are protected by Salem Revised Code Chapters 86, 807, and 808, regardless of where they are located. You must apply for a permit from the City of Salem to remove a protected tree, even if it is on private property, and certain requirements must be met for the tree removal permit to be granted.

Protected trees include:

• Significant Trees:
  • Oregon white oaks that are 20-inches or more in diameter at breast height (4.5 feet above ground level).
  • Trees of any species that are 30-inches or more in diameter at breast height, except for tree of heaven, empress tree, black cottonwood, and black locust.
• Heritage Trees: designated by City Council due to their location, size, age, botanical interest, and/or historic or cultural significance.
• Riparian Trees: trees and native vegetation in Riparian Corridors (within about 50 feet of a waterway).
• City-owned Trees: the City of Salem owns trees located in the street right-of-way, City parks, and other City-owned properties.
• Certain trees on lots over 20,000 square feet.
• Trees preserved in Tree Conservation Plans.
• Trees that are part of required landscaping for businesses, schools, and apartment complexes

The City of Salem Urban Forestry Division Trees is responsible for City-owned trees located in the street right-of-way, in City Parks, and at City facilities. The Urban Forester conducts tree health inspections and will prune or remove street trees and park trees that are found to be in hazardous, dead, or dying conditions. To request that a tree be placed on the Urban Forester’s inspection and life/safety pruning or removal list, call Public Works Dispatch at 503-588-6333. To request removal of a City-owned tree for other reasons, you will need to apply for a tree removal permit.

Private property – No permits are required for normal trimming or pruning that is needed to maintain your trees in good health. However, excessive pruning of a protected tree that results in damage or decline of the tree is considered removal. For protected trees, the following pruning activities are treated the same as removal:

• Removing 30 percent or more of a protected tree’s crown, trunk, or root system.
• Damaging a protected tree in such a way as to cause the tree to decline or die.
• Topping.

City property – The City of Salem Urban Forestry Division provides structural and clearance pruning and deadwood removal for all street trees. A permit from Public Works Development Services is generally required for anyone else to prune these trees. However, street trees over 4” DBH (12.5” circumference) may be pruned without a permit as long as:

• No more than 3 tree branches and three tree roots are pruned per year,
• None of the branches or roots removed are larger than 2 inches in diameter, and
• Pruning follows accepted arboricultural practices.

To request that a City-owned tree be placed on the Urban Forester’s inspection and life/safety pruning list, please call Public Works Dispatch at 503-588-6333.

Private property – No permit required.

• Want to get low-cost or free trees and help planting them? The City of Salem has three programs aimed at assisting private property owners with planting trees. Two of these programs are just for streamside residences, whereas the third is available in different neighborhoods each year. For more information, see our Tree Planting page. 

City property – You must obtain a permit from Public Works Development Services to plant trees on City property.

• Street Trees: The Urban Forestry Division maintains a list of trees that can be planted in the planter strips along streets. You can use this list to narrow down tree choices for your planting location. Upon submittal of the permit application, the Urban Forestry Division will conduct a site evaluation, speak with you, and determine final approval of street tree choices.
• Volunteer Tree Planting Events – Visit our Tree Planting page to learn more about volunteer opportunities to plant trees in City parks. 

If you are developing your property, tree removal will be considered through your site plan review approval or by getting a Tree Conservation Plan approved as part of your residential development proposal.

Site Plan Review: Tree removal related to development on most properties is evaluated as part of the site plan review process. This process applies to development projects that require a building permit, expansions, alterations, paving or modification of parking areas, paving of unpaved areas, changing a use when a building permit is not required, and making changes to a building façade in some zones.

Tree Conservation Plans are required when creating lots to construct single-family or middle family (townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and cottage clusters) housing. The Tree Conservation Plan designates which trees can be removed and which ones must remain throughout the development process.

Tree Variances may be granted to allow for deviations from the required tree protections if the deviation is reasonably necessary to permit the otherwise lawful development of a property.

Required Landscaping for Businesses, Schools, and Apartment Complexes: All commercial developments, including public and private entities and apartment complexes, are required to have some of their property set aside for trees and landscaping. The required trees and landscaping must be maintained in good condition so as to present a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance. Learn more on the Landscaping for Businesses page.

Contact the Planning Division for more information about tree protection requirements and the required application process.

Learn more:

Site Plan Review

Land Use Applications

Land Use Application Procedure Types

Landscaping for Businesses, Schools, and Apartment Complexes