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City: Durham

Contact Information:

Mailing Address:

Durham City/County Planning Department :
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, N.C. 27701

Phone:

919-560-4137

Fax:

919-560-4641

Email:

None

Important Reminder: Please also refer to the State and Federal Laws and Regulations sections of this website for additional information on statutes and regulations that may also apply to your city and county jurisdiction.

Links:

• Urban Forestry Department - Durham, North Carolina
• Unified Development Ordinance - City of Durham (HTML version and searchable)
• Durham City-County Unified Development Ordinance (Contains links to PDF documents)
• Durham City/County Planning Department
• Landscaping Guidelines - City of Durham, [PDF, 2,400kb]
• How To Use This Code & Table of Contents, [PDF, 119kb]

Indications:

• Zoning; Residential Rural District (RR) may allow agricultural uses
• Table of permitted uses; Forestry may be permitted in all districts with limitations; City only
• Forestry defined; Clear-cut defined; Agricultural uses defined
• Silviculture not defined
• Major Transportation Corridor Overlay
• Watershed Protection Overlay
• Silviculture falls under "Agricultural Use" category and forestry falls under Agricultural Use Standards; City only
• Tree preservation requirements and clear-cutting restrictions; City and county
• Forestry activities may not require land disturbance buffer; However, if clearcut, development activity will be prohibited for some period of time; A 32-foot wide buffer of naturally existing vegetation shall be maintained along all boundaries of the property being forested that adjoin other properties; Along public rights-of-way, a 50-foot buffer of naturally existing vegetation shall be maintained, exclusive of areas required for access to the site (See Article 9, Section 9.5.2 and Article 8, Section 8.3.4
• Sedimentation and erosion control exclusion may allow forestry
• Forestry may be allowed in Special Flood Hazard Areas
• Stream buffer protection
• Watershed protection overlay
• Water supply reservoir buffer
• Steep slope protection
• Wetland buffer protection
• Landscaping and buffering
• Landscaping guidelines
• Street tree protection

Citations:

All links go to City of Durham website unless otherwise indicated.

• Residential Rural District (RR), Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 4, Zoning Districts, Section 4.2, 4.2.1, [PDF, 241kb]
  
  
• Major Transportation Corridor Overlay, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 4, Zoning Districts, Section 4.9, 4.9.1, [PDF, 241kb]
  
  
• Watershed Protection Overlay, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 4, Zoning Districts, Section 4.11, 4.11.1, [PDF, 241kb]
  
  
• Forestry; Clear-Cut; Agricultural Uses, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 16, Definitions, Section 16.3, Defined Terms, [PDF, 279kb]
  
  
• Table of permitted uses, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 5, Use Regulations, Section 5.1, Section 5.1.2, Agricultural Uses, Agriculture, Forestry, (City only) [PDF, 412kb]
  
  
• Agricultural Uses, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 5, Use Regulations, Section 5.2, Use Categories, 5.2.2, (City only) [PDF, 412kb]
  
  
• Forestry, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 5, Use Regulations, Section 5.3, Limited Use Standards, 5.3.1, Agricultural Use Standards, B, (Forestry activities may be permitted in all districts; City only) [PDF, 412kb]
  
  
• Clear-Cutting, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.3, Tree Protection and Tree Coverage, 8.3.4, [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Development in Special Flood Hazard Areas, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.4, 8.4.1, (Forestry uses may be allowed) [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Stream Buffer Protection Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.5, [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Water Supply Reservoir Buffer, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.6, [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Watershed Protection Overlay Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.7, [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Steep Slope Protection Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.8, [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Wetlands Protection Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.9, [PDF, 239kb]
  
  
• Exemptions, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 9, Landscaping and Buffering, Section 9.5, Land Disturbance Buffers and Revegetation, 9.5.2, [PDF, 241kb]
  
  
• Scope and Exclusions, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 12, Sedimentation and Erosion Control, Section 12.10, 12.10.2, [PDF, 237kb]
  
  
• Tree Ordinance, Code of Ordinances, City of Durham, North Carolina, Chapter 21, (Municode)
  
  
• Limit Clearcutting of Trees, Session Law 2001-191 (June 12, 2001)
  
  
• Raleigh, Rutherfordton, Wake Limit Clearcutting, Session Law 2003-128 (June 2, 2003)
  
  
• 2003 Technical Corrections Act, Session Law 2004-203, Section 71 (August 17, 2004)

• [Session Law 2005-447 applies to all municipalities and counties in North Carolina.]
  An Act to Clarify the Role of Counties and Cities in Regulating Certain Forestry Activities, Session Law 2005-447 (September 29, 2005)

Last Updated:

Durham information last updated on Decemeber 3, 2009

County: Durham

Contact Information:

Mailing Address:

Durham City/County Planning Department
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, N.C. 27701

Phone:

919-560-4137

Fax:

919-560-4641

Email:

None

Important Reminder: Please also refer to the State and Federal Laws and Regulations sections of this website for additional information on statutes and regulations that may also apply to your city and county jurisdiction.

Links:

• Zoning, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham (Page contains links to ordinance documents)
• Durham City/County Planning Department
• Landscaping Guidelines - City of Durham, [PDF, 2,400kb]
• How To Use This Code & Table of Contents, [PDF, 119kb]
• Code of Ordinances, City of Durham, North Carolina (Municode)

Indications:

• Zoning; No exemption provided for bona fide farm purposes in zoning ordinance
• Forestry, Clear-cut, and Agricultural defined
• Residential Rural (RR) District may allow agricultural activities
• Table of permitted uses; Forestry listed as allowed for all districts in City only
• Tree preservation requirements and clear-cutting restrictions; County and city
• Tree preservation requirements and clear-cutting restrictions in the County and City; Tree survey may be required; Protection of existing vegetation during construction; Properties may not be clear-cut during forestry activities and vegetated perimeter buffer shall be maintained while tree harvesting for forestry occurs; If buffer is not maintained during forestry activities a site plan may be denied by the City during a period of five years from the date of clearing and denied for a period of three years by the County; Exemption for forestry activities not provided
• Landscaping and buffering; Existing vegetation credits for required landscaping
• Pasture forestry may be allowed in Special Flood Hazard Areas
• Watershed protection overlay; Exemption not provided for silviculture
• Stream buffer protection standards
• Water supply reservoir buffer
• Wetland buffer protection
• Steep slope protection standards
• Major transportation corridor overlay; Required vegetative buffer may not be disturbed
• Wetland buffer protection
• Sedimentation and erosion control exclusion may allow forestry
• Noise ordinance; Farming operations may be exempt
• Landscaping guidelines

Citations:

All citations available through Durham County and City Planning website unless otherwise indicated.

• Residential Rural District (RR), Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 4, Zoning Districts, Section 4.2, Residential District Intent Statements, Section 4.2.1
  
  
• Major Transportation Corridor Overlay, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 4, Zoning Districts, Section 4.9, Section 4.9.1
  
  
• Watershed Protection Overlay, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 4, Zoning Districts, Section 4.11, Section 4.11.1
  
  
• Forestry, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 16, Definitions, Section 16.3, Defined Terms
  
  
• Agricultural Uses, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 16, Definitions, Section 16.3, Defined Terms
  
  
• Clear-Cut, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 16, Definitions, Section 16.3, Defined Terms
  
  
• Forestry, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 5, Use Regulations, Section 5.1, Section 5.1.2, Table of permitted uses, Agricultural Uses, Agriculture, (City only)
  
  
• Agricultural Uses, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 5, Use Regulations, Section 5.2, Use Categories, 5.2.2, (City of Durham only)
  
  
• Forestry, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 5, Use Regulations, Section 5.3, Limited Use Standards, 5.3.1, Agricultural Use Standards, B, (Forestry activities may be permitted in all districts; City only)
  
  
• Clear-Cutting, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.3, Tree Protection and Tree Coverage, 8.3.1
  
  
• Agricultural uses, including active agriculture, pasture forestry, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.4, Floodplain and Flood Damage Protection Standards, Section 8.4.4, Development in Special Flood Hazard Areas, Section A, Development Allowed, Section 1 (Forestry uses may be allowed)
  
  
• Stream Buffer Protection Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.5
  
  
• Water Supply Reservoir Buffer, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.6
  
  
• Watershed Protection Overlay Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.7
  
  
• Steep Slope Protection Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.8
  
  
• Wetlands Protection Standards, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 8, Environmental Protection, Section 8.9
  
  
• Exemptions (Exemption for forestry activities), Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 9, Landscaping and Buffering, Section 9.5, Land Disturbance Buffers and Revegetation, 9.5.2
  
  
• Scope and Exclusions, Unified Development Ordinance, City of Durham, Article 12, Sedimentation and Erosion Control, Section 12.10, Section 12.10.2
  
  
• Same--Exemptions, Code of Ordinances, City of Durham, North Carolina, Article 2, Noise, Section 14-27 (Municode)

• [Session Law 2005-447 applies to all municipalities and counties in North Carolina.]
  An Act to Clarify the Role of Counties and Cities in Regulating Certain Forestry Activities, Session Law 2005-447 (September 29, 2005)

Last Updated:

Durham information last updated on September 10, 2009

URL for this page:

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