To help advance the goal of increasing the tree canopy and improve the survivability of newly planted live oaks, the Town has started the Oak Island Adopt-A-Tree Program.

This program allows participants to "adopt" a newly planted live oak tree, providing a tree name and ensuring it has a guardian to watch over it during the most sensitive sapling years.

There are TWO different ways to participate in the program, as a: 

TREE PROVIDER

Property owners wanting to remove trees from their property must first submit a Tree Removal Application.

Once the application has been reviewed and processed, staff will schedule a site visit. 

Trees which meet the criteria for removal, will be issued a Tree Removal Permit. Trees which do not meet criteria will be denied a Tree Removal Permit.

Please allow a minimum of 10 business days to process and review this request.

CLICK HERE for Tree Removal Application

Appeals of decisions by the Tree Program Manager or their designee can be made to the Board of Adjustment, in accordance with Section 4.10 of the Unified Development Ordinance.

Variances shall be heard by the Board of Adjustment. The Board of Adjustment must follow the standards found in Section 4.10 of the Unified Development Ordinance.

Any person found in violation shall be subject to a civil penalty of $500 as permitted by N.C.G.S. 14-4 and shall be required to replant the disturbed area in accordance with an approved vegetation preservation plan that meets the guidelines of subsection 32-74(c) and Section 32-76.

The Tree Program Manager or their designee may stay enforcement of the civil penalty if the offender replants the disturbed area in accordance with an approved vegetation preservation plan that meets the guidelines of subsection 32-74(c) and section 32-76, provided, however, the option to stay penalty does not apply to heritage trees removed without a permit. 

PLEASE NOTE:  

• Town staff DOES NOT provide consultations or remedial recommendations. Please consult an independent arborist to provide consultation or remedial recommendations.
• If tree removal is related to any type of construction project (new build, addition, renovation, repair, pool, deck/patio, ADU, etc.) it must be approved through the Building Permit Application review process.
• Tree removal requests for Heritage Trees (hardwood 15" DBH or larger and soft wood 30" or greater) must include an Arborist Report. NOTE: To calculate DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) at a height of 4' 8" measure around the tree, then divide the number of inches around by 3.14, to get the diameter (DBH).
• All trees requested for removal must be marked with either ribbon, flagging tape, or cording.
• ALL concerns regarding tree removal must be addressed PRIOR to removal of the approved tree(s). Determinations may be appealed within 30 days of receipt of Staff's notification.

In 2022, the Town commissioned a Tree Canopy Cover Assessment. This Assessment mapped tree canopy (TC), possible planting area (PPA), and analyzed how they are distributed throughout Oak Island’s town boundary, zoning, right-of-way (ROW), and census block groups. For the purpose of this Assessment tree canopy refers to percentage of tree canopy coverage for the town’s total land excluding water bodies.

Funding for this project was provided in part through an Urban & Community Forestry Grant from the North Carolina Forest Service, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, Southern Region. 

The Final Report from the Assessment was presented during the November 14, 2023 Town Council meeting, and found that in 2022, Oak Island had 59% tree canopy cover and 23% possible planting area, and the other 18% of the town was classified as unsuitable for planting without significant land modification. The Town's total area, including water bodies, was categorized by 56% tree canopy, 2% shrubs, 21% non-canopy vegetation; 4% soil / dry vegetation; 12% impervious surfaces, and 6% water.

The 7,093 acres of tree canopy in Oak Island provide ecosystem benefits valued at over $2.6 million per year through air quality improvements, stormwater runoff prevention, and carbon sequestration

Also in 2023, the Town completed the process of tagging 400 individual trees on Town-owned property, as part of the Tree Preservation Project.

This tagging effort took 17 days to complete, and included areas in Bill Smith Park, the Nature Center, May Moore Park, Barbee Street / Shipwreck Park, Hannon Templeton Dog Park, Town Hall, the Middleton Park Complex, and the Arboretum.

The Tree Preservation Project targeted Live Oak and Longleaf Pine trees at or approaching 100 years old (heritage size). The diameter at breast height (DBH) for Heritage Live Oak and Longleaf Pine is approximately 15 inches and 30 inches, respectively. The project placed a numbered, aluminum tree tag on the tree, noted species, latitude / longitude, measured DBH, and noted the health of the tree.

The Department prepared GIS maps of the locations, showing individual tag numbers, pictures of individual heritage trees, and recorded all data The data is available on the stormwater Department page of the Town Website Additionally, the maps and data are planned to be converted to an online GIS format were the public can interface individual tree data and pictures.

In 2025, the Town planted approximately 200 Live Oak Trees in the in the Town Right-of-Way (ROW).

This effort took place in the areas of:

• E Oak Drive between NE 40th and NE 63rd streets
• E Holly Drive NE from NE 40th to NE 79th streets
• W Oak Island Dr.

These areas were selected based on a recent map showing tree canopy loss from 2007 to the present, highlighting significant damage from hurricanes and new development.

Additionally, on West Oak Island Drive a total of 28 Bradford Pear trees were removed before being replaced with live oaks. As additional funding becomes available, more live oaks will be added within the ROW on Oak Island Drive, extending to the end of the Island.

This effort to replace Bradford Pear trees with live oaks should help create a more resilient and sustainable urban forest.