Boulevard Street Trees: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know
- 14 hours ago
- 6 min read
Community Standards & City Partnership
The trees lining West Winds' streets aren't just beautiful — they represent a shared responsibility. Every lot owner in the subdivision is required, under both our CC&Rs and City of Bozeman standards, to plant and maintain boulevard trees fronting their property. The Board wants to make sure every homeowner understands what that means, what the rules require, and how the City of Bozeman is making it easier — and more affordable — than ever to comply.
Your street-facing boulevard is more than landscaping — it's a community obligation with both HOA and City of Bozeman requirements attached.
Enforceable Requirement
The West Winds Board wants to be straightforward with homeowners: boulevard tree requirements are not optional and are part of the covenants every owner in West Winds agreed to when purchasing their home. The requirement applies to all phases of the subdivision.
Dead or missing boulevard trees must be removed and replaced within 30 days. The CC&Rs are explicit: all dead vegetation, including trees, must be replaced by the owner within thirty days. (CC&Rs § 13.42(a))
2026 City of Bozeman Tree Cost Share Program
Participating in the Cost Share Program is one of the simplest ways to satisfy both your HOA covenant obligation and City code requirements in one step — with professional help from the Forestry Division. The Board strongly encourages eligible homeowners to take advantage of it.
CURRENTLY OPEN - LIMITED TIME - ACT NOW!
The BEST DEAL in town - for $100, participating in the City Cost Share Tree Program gets you:
The tree itself — 1.5" diameter or larger, from the approved 2026 species list
Site inspection — Forestry staff assess and confirm proper placement before planting
Utility locate coordination — required before any boulevard excavation (Montana 811); handled as part of the process
Professional planting labor — Forestry Division crew does the work
Staking — proper support for the newly planted tree
Removal/Disposal of a dead boulevard tree (if applicable)
Stump grinding - for the dead tree (if applicable)
Mulch — applied at installation
Water bags — where appropriate, to support establishment
Lifetime pruning and maintenance — once planted, the City Forestry Division takes over all future pruning, structural maintenance, and removal if ever needed
One More Reason to Participate: You're Already Paying for It
Every property owner in Bozeman pays an annual special assessment to fund the City's Tree Maintenance District — the program that pays for the Forestry Division's pruning, removals, emergency response, and tree care across the city's 28,000-tree urban forest. That assessment is based on property square footage; at the current rate, a homeowner with a 15,000 sq. ft. lot pays approximately $64.80 per year. City of Bozeman Smaller lots pay proportionally less, but every West Winds homeowner contributes to this fund annually.
The Cost Share program is the most direct way to receive tangible value from that assessment on your own property. When you participate, the Forestry Division — funded in part by your annual tax — provides the tree, plants it professionally, stakes it, and mulches it, then maintains and prunes it for the life of the tree. If your lot currently has no boulevard trees, you are paying into a system whose benefits you are not yet receiving. The Cost Share program changes that.
If your lot currently has no boulevard trees, you are paying into a system whose benefits you are not yet receiving - The Cost Share program changes that.
General Planting Requirements at a Glance
Whether you're planting for the first time or replacing a tree that didn't survive, here are some of the specific standards that apply to every boulevard tree in West Winds:
Quantity: | One street tree per 25–50 feet of street frontage, rounded to the nearest whole number. Spacing averages one tree every 25–30 feet depending on species. |
Species: | Trees must be City of Bozeman–approved species suited to boulevard planting. |
Planting hole depth: | The hole must be at least twice the diameter of the root ball. The root flare of the newly planted tree must be visible and above ground. |
Mulch ring: | A mulch ring 3–4 feet in diameter must be placed around each newly planted boulevard tree. |
Minimum trunk diameter: | Bozeman Municipal Ordinance requires a minimum trunk diameter of 1.5 inches at planting. |
Permit required: | A City of Bozeman Forestry Division planting permit must be obtained before any tree is installed in the public right-of-way. Utility locations must also be confirmed through Montana 811 prior to excavation. |
Irrigation: | All areas visible from the street where vegetation is planted must have permanent underground irrigation installed per CC&Rs § 12.18. |
The Dual Obligation: HOA & City
Boulevard trees sit in the public right-of-way — the strip of land between the curb and the sidewalk in front of your home. Even though it's technically city property, both the West Winds CC&Rs and the Bozeman Municipal Code place the responsibility for planting and maintaining that strip squarely on the adjacent lot owner.
These aren't parallel, competing requirements — they're complementary. Our CC&Rs incorporate city standards directly, meaning homeowners must satisfy both to be in compliance.
HOA REQUIREMENT
CC&Rs § 12.18 — Landscaping
Street trees shall be planted by the lot owner within the boulevard street fronting the lot in compliance with City of Bozeman standards for spacing, number, and species.
West Winds CC&Rs, 2nd Amendment (2008) — §12.18
CITY REQUIREMENT
BMC § 38.260.050 — Streetscape
Individual property owners must install landscaping and street trees within city right-of-way boulevard strips adjacent to their property, with one tree per 25–50 feet of frontage on average.
Bozeman Unified Development Code — § 38.260.050
A Note on HOA Enforcement - Boulevard Street Trees
The Board conducts periodic community inspections and is currently reviewing boulevard compliance across the subdivision. Where boulevard trees are absent and no approved landscape plan is on file, owners may receive a courtesy notice asking them to bring their property into compliance. Our goal is voluntary compliance — not fines — and the City's Cost Share Program and free permit process make it easier than ever to get there. Consistent, fair enforcement protects everyone's property values and the character of our neighborhood.
A Note on the Cost Share Program and Compliance
The City of Bozeman's Cost Share program is a voluntary assistance program — an excellent resource, but not a compliance pathway in itself. Participation does not satisfy a violation notice, and the program's availability, capacity, or seasonal schedule does not extend or modify any compliance deadline established by the Board.
Homeowners who wish to use the Cost Share program to come into compliance are welcome to do so, but must contact the Board in advance to request a written compliance plan with an extended deadline. That request is not automatic. It requires Board approval and a written commitment from the owner before any deadline extension is granted.
A Note on Exceptions to the Boulevard Tree Requirement
Not every boulevard can accommodate a tree, and the Board recognizes that. Certain site conditions may legitimately prevent compliant planting under City of Bozeman standards, including:
Underground utilities — trees must be kept a minimum of 10 feet from underground water lines, sewer lines, or other subsurface infrastructure
Electrical transformers — trees may not be planted in proximity to above-ground transformer equipment in the boulevard strip
Street vision triangles — no tree may be planted within a 40-foot triangle at intersections on collector and local streets, or within a 50-foot triangle on arterial streets
Driveway clearance — no tree may be planted within 30 feet of a driveway centerline (15 feet either side)
Where one or more of these conditions affect a lot, the owner may not have a viable planting location and is not automatically in violation. However, documentation is required — owners who believe their lot is affected must apply for a City of Bozeman Forestry Division planting permit. If the permit process results in a City determination that no compliant planting location exists, the owner must provide that written determination to the Board for inclusion in their lot record. Lots without a boulevard tree and without a City-issued determination on file will remain subject to the standard compliance process.
Who Is Responsible for What?
There's a clear division of responsibility between homeowners and the City when it comes to boulevard trees:
Homeowners
are responsible for:
Planting trees that meet City standards; regular maintenance of the boulevard strip landscaping; watering; mulching; and monitoring tree health.
The City Forestry Division
is responsible for:
Pruning and removal of any tree located in the city right-of-way, once a tree is established. Do not prune or remove a boulevard tree without a permit — this requires City authorization.
If a boulevard tree dies:
It must be replaced with a living plant that complies with the approved landscape standards. The City's right-of-way maintenance obligation does not extend to neglected or failed trees — replacement is the homeowner's responsibility.
Important: Permits Are Required
You cannot plant, remove, or significantly prune a tree in the public right-of-way without a permit from the City of Bozeman Forestry Division. Removal without a permit is a violation of the Bozeman Municipal Code. Contact the Forestry Division at (406) 582-3225 before beginning any tree work in the boulevard strip. Permits are free for new plantings — the City wants you to plant trees.
Resources & Quick Links
City Cost Share Program (2026 Application): | |
Bozeman Street Tree Guide (approved species list): | |
City Forestry Division Phone: | (406) 582-3225 |
Montana 811 (utility locates before planting): | 1-800-424-5555 or |
West Winds CC&Rs |
