​​​Property owners who wish to remove trees from agriculturally zoned property for bona fide agricultural use must obtain a Notice of Clearing from Environmental Sciences prior to commencement of any land clearing activities.  Documentation verifying intent to use the property for bona fide agricultural purposes must be included with the Notice of Clearing application.

Exemption: Properties classified as agricultural for ad valorem taxation purposes pursuant to Florida Statutes 193.461(3)(b), also known as agricultural (green-belt) tax exemption, are not required to obtain an approved Notice of Clearing from Lee County. Call 239-533-8585 to obtain the tax-exempt status of a parcel.

If an application to rezone a parcel is filed within three years from the date the most recent Notice of Clearing was issued, and the rezoning is granted, the applicable open space requirements of Chapter 10, Lee County Land Development Code (LDC), must be satisfied in the following manner:

1. A sufficient number of trees listed in Appendix E (L​DC) must be placed, planted and maintained consistent with Section 14-384(a)(1)-(4) to the extent that such minimum open space requirements cannot be satisfied by then-existing natural forest.
   
   
2. Such reforestation as required in LDC​ Section 14-377(a)(1) shall be satisfied by imposing the necessary conditions to any final development order issued at any time within eight years after the land in question is rezoned.