Beware of Tree Removal Scheme

Nassau County, Florida, February 25, 2022 – The Board of County Commissioners has been made aware that a local contractor is reaching out to homeowners stating that they have unhealthy trees on their property that need to be removed. Residents have reported hiring this business to have the tree(s) removed, only to find out that the trees were actually healthy and that this may have been a scheme to generate business. If you are contacted, please do your due diligence to investigate the matter to ensure that you are not a victim of a scam. Contact an ISA certified arborist to conduct an inspection and to provide a tree risk assessment report prior to making any decision to have it removed. You can search for an ISA Arborist at https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist.

It's also important to note that Nassau County’s new Tree Protection Ordinance went into effect on February 7, 2022, and it applies to properties in the unincorporated area of Amelia Island (outside of the City limits). This ordinance requires that a tree removal permit must be issued before the removal of a protected tree can occur. Removal of a protected tree without a permit is a violation of the Land Development Code and can result in the enforcement of penalties ranging from mandatary tree replacement, inch-for-inch and/or up to a $15,000 fine. Property owners and contractors can be held jointly liable for violations.

Nassau County’s Tree Ordinance can be found at: https://library.municode.com/fl/nassau_county/codes/code_of_ordinances. See Article 37, Section 37.02.
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If you have any questions, please contact County Arborist, Garner Cox, at (904) 530-6300 or via e-mail at gcox@nassaucountyfl.com.