Fort Worth council ‘speaks for the trees’ with tougher fines for clear cutting
The city of Fort Worth has stiffened penalties for unauthorized tree clearing in an effort to hold developers accountable and protect the city’s natural landscapes.
The change comes seven years after Arlington-based D.R. Horton nearly clear cut 51 acres in east Fort Worth as part of a 219-home development.
East Fort Worth residents blamed the development for exacerbating problems with water runoff and flooding.
The city’s new rules quadruple the fines for unauthorized removal of a protected tree such as a black jack oak or post oak. Those trees are a key part of the Cross Timbers ecological region, which stretches from Waco to southeastern Kansas
Previously, developers had to pay $500 for every protected tree they cut down without city permission. Now they’ll pay $2,000.
Replacing post and black jack oaks is very difficult due to their slow growth rate and difficulty with transplanting, said Jaclyn Ingram, the city’s urban forestry officer, speaking at an April 1 council work session.
“What we have is what we have,” she said.
The city of Fort Worth requires a permit to remove trees, however, this doesn’t apply to single family homes on lots smaller than one acre.
Developers are required to preserve at least 25% of the tree canopy or face a fine. The canopy is the upper most part of the tree that covers the ground below with shade.
Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, whose push to strengthen the tree ordinance led District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck to call her “the Lorax,” praised the move at the April 22 council meeting.
“It’s important that people know when they build in Fort Worth that you just can’t come and clear cut our significant trees and not be held accountable for it,” Bivens said.
Roughly 19% of the city of Fort Worth is covered by some kind of tree canopy. The city has a goal of expanding the canopy to 30% by 2050, according to its urban forestry master plan.
Members of the City Council donned green baseball caps with the words “Fort Worth loves trees” on them before voting unanimously to approve the rule change.
Mayor Mattie Parker also thanked the city’s development community for working with the city to craft rules protecting Fort Worth’s tree canopy.
It’s uncommon in big cities to see developers work with government to create more regulations, but Fort Worth’s development community recognized how important this was to the city, Parker said.
Council member Beck praised Bivens for her years-long effort to strengthen the city’s tree protections.
“There’s no one who speaks for the trees like you, council woman Bivens,” Beck said, while thanking her for educating the younger members of the council about the importance of protecting the city’s tree canopy.
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 3:46 PM.
.jpg)