Two categories, two purposes
Cherokee County's Article 27 singles out two kinds of trees for special treatment. Specimen Trees are trees that qualify for special consideration for preservation because of their size, type and condition, under criteria in Appendix A. Heritage Trees are trees the county determines to be of unique and intrinsic value to the public because of size, age, historic association, rarity, ecological value, or champion status, under the register process in Appendix B.
The difference matters. Specimen status mainly affects development sites: how a project's tree plan is reviewed, what credit it gets for saving a tree and what it must replant if it removes one. Heritage status follows a specific tree and its owner, and it is the one exception to the ordinance's exemption for homeowners removing trees on their own lots.
Specimen Tree criteria from Appendix A
Appendix A says both the size and the condition criteria must be met. Size: overstory trees of 24 inches DBH or larger, and understory trees of 10 inches DBH or larger. Condition: a life expectancy of greater than fifteen years; a relatively sound and solid trunk with no extensive decay; no more than one major and several minor dead limbs; and no major insect or pathological problem, as determined by the county arborist.
Type is the last test: Appendix A states that pine species do not qualify as Specimen Trees. So a 30-inch loblolly pine, however impressive, is not a specimen tree under the ordinance, while a healthy 26-inch white oak may be. Our calculator checks the size test and the pine rule for any tree you measure.
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Size, overstory trees | 24 inches DBH or larger |
| Size, understory trees | 10 inches DBH or larger |
| Life expectancy | Greater than 15 years |
| Trunk | Relatively sound and solid, no extensive decay |
| Dead wood | No more than one major and several minor dead limbs |
| Pests and disease | No major insect or pathological problem |
| Type | Pine species do not qualify |
How specimen status plays out on development sites
Appendix A encourages designs that save specimen trees. A specimen tree saved by a design feature specifically designated for that purpose earns density credit of four times its assigned unit value from Table A, provided it lies within or directly adjacent to the developable area; trees already inside protected areas such as open space, stream buffers and zoning buffers do not get the extra credit. If a tree preservation plan does not incorporate features to preserve specimen trees, the county may require an alternate site design.
Specimen trees that are allowed to be removed, or whose critical root zones are impacted by ten percent or more, require recompense planting equal to two times their density unit value, with replacement species capable of comparable size and quality and a minimum three-inch caliper at planting. Unauthorized removal or permanent damage of a specimen tree under a land disturbance permit brings a stop-work order, a fine of not less than $1,000 and replacement at three times the density value.
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Free Quote RequestHeritage Trees and the county register
Appendix B describes the Cherokee County Heritage Tree Register, which recognizes noteworthy individual trees or groves for historical, commemorative or horticultural significance, and may include the oldest, tallest, largest and rarest native and exotic species in the county. Anyone may nominate a Heritage Tree by contacting the county arborist. But no tree on private property can be designated without the written consent of the current property owner.
Once a tree is designated, the ordinance makes it unlawful for anyone to remove, destroy, cut, prune, break or injure it without a prior written permit from the Board of Commissioners, and only the Board can remove a designation. Within five days of designation, the owner must take one of the steps the appendix lists, such as recording an owner's affidavit in the county land records so the status follows the property.
What this means for a Ball Ground homeowner
For most owners of existing single-family homes in unincorporated Cherokee County, specimen status does not stop a removal, because Article 27 exempts tree removal by those homeowners except for Heritage Trees. The question to ask is therefore simple: has your tree ever been designated a Heritage Tree, with your consent or a previous owner's? If so, the affidavit should appear in the property's land records.
If you are buying land to develop, specimen trees matter much more, because they shape site design and replanting obligations. If you are inside a city limit, ask the city, since Article 27 is a county rule. For the full exemption list, see the Cherokee County tree ordinance, and for routine removals, tree removal in Ball Ground.
Measuring and documenting a significant tree
If you think a tree on your land is exceptional, document it: measure the diameter at four and one-half feet, photograph it, and note its species and condition. That record helps whether you want to protect it, nominate it, or simply show a future buyer what is there. The ordinance's Appendix A condition criteria are a good checklist for what an arborist would look at.
If the tree is near planned work, protect its critical root zone, the circle of one and one-half feet per inch of diameter. A provider who understands that rule will keep equipment out of it. For trees that are declining instead of thriving, see dead and hazard tree removal.