Tree Protection in Chino, CA (2026)
5 verified tree protection rules for Chino, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Removal Permits
Chino has no citywide heritage/private-tree preservation ordinance comparable to neighboring Chino Hills CMC Ch. 16.90. On private property, owners can generally remove trees without a city permit. A permit is required only when the tree is in the public right-of-way (parkway/street tree) or when removal is tied to a discretionary project subject to a landscape/site plan reviewed under Chino Development Code Title 20 (Zoning).
Tree Removal Permits in Chino
Few RestrictionsHeritage & Protected Trees
Chino does NOT have a heritage tree ordinance. There is no city-maintained list of heritage trees, no DBH (diameter at breast height) threshold for protection, and no special permit required to remove a large or historically significant tree on private property. This is markedly different from neighboring Chino Hills, which protects any tree 44 inches DBH or greater under CHMC Ch. 16.90 — a Chino Hills rule that does not extend into Chino city limits.
Heritage Trees in Chino
Few RestrictionsTree Replacement Requirements
Chino imposes replacement-tree requirements only through Title 20 (Zoning) landscape standards for new development, multi-family projects, commercial/industrial site plans, and parking lots — not through a standalone tree-removal ordinance. Replacement is also required for any city-owned parkway tree removed by Public Works (typically a 15-gallon or 24-inch box replacement in the same parkway). Single-family homeowners removing trees on their own lots have no city-imposed replacement obligation.
Tree Replacement Requirements in Chino
Some RestrictionsProtected Tree Species
Chino does not designate specific protected native tree species (such as California sycamore, coast live oak, or California black walnut) on private property. That contrasts sharply with neighboring Chino Hills, which lists those four natives plus coastal scrub oak under CHMC Ch. 16.90. In Chino, protection of native species attaches only at the project-CEQA level via California Fish & Game Code §§1360-1372 (Oak Woodlands Conservation Act) for projects impacting oak woodlands.
Protected Tree Species in Chino
Few RestrictionsParkway Planting
Trees in the public parkway (the strip between sidewalk and curb) and elsewhere in the public right-of-way are city property, planted, maintained, and removed only by Chino Public Works Services (909-334-3266). Residents may not plant, remove, top, or substantially prune parkway trees themselves. Two HOA-maintained areas — College Park and The Preserve — handle their own street trees instead of Public Works.
Parkway and Street Tree Planting in Chino
Some RestrictionsLooking for San Bernardino County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chino city rules.
Tree Protection in San Bernardino County →