Tree Protection in Folsom, CA (2026)
3 verified tree protection rules for Folsom, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Folsom automatically classifies a tree as a heritage tree once it reaches 30 inches DSH (or 50 inches combined for multitrunked trees) on the city's master tree list, while a separate tree can be formally named a landmark tree by city council resolution under Section 12.16.170 for its historical, habitat, rarity, or beauty value.
Folsom Heritage & Landmark Tree Rules
Significant RestrictionsFolsom, CA, Municipal Code §§ 12.16.020, 12.16.170(A)(2)
“Heritage tree” means, except for trees listed as “not eligible for heritage status” on the city’s master tree list, a tree on the city’s master tree list over thirty inches in DSH or a multitrunked tree on the master tree list having a combined DSH of fifty inches or more. ... 2. Designation of Landmark Trees. In order to designate a tree as a landmark tree, the city council shall find that...
Protected Tree Species
Folsom's tree ordinance protects four native oak species at just 6 inches of trunk diameter, plus any heritage, landmark, or zoning-required regulated tree, under Municipal Code Section 12.16.020. Cutting, major pruning, or grading within a protected tree's root zone requires a permit regardless of whether the tree is on private property.
Folsom Protected Tree Species Rules
Significant RestrictionsFolsom, CA, Municipal Code § 12.16.020 ("Protected Tree," "Native oak tree," Table 12.16-7)
Protected Tree. Trees protected under this chapter include native oak trees, heritage trees, landmark trees, and regulated trees, as defined herein. ... “Native oak tree” means one of the following indigenous species of tree or hybrids of any of the trees listed below, with a minimum diameter as shown in Table 12.16-7: Valley Oak Quercus lobata 6" 20"; Blue Oak Quercus douglasii 6" 20"; Interio...
Parkway Planting
New construction in Folsom must plant street trees from the city's master tree list under Section 12.16.190: one tree per single or two-family lot, two for corner lots, and spacing of one tree every 20 to 40 feet of frontage for multifamily and commercial projects, scaled to tree size.
Folsom Street Tree Planting Rules
Some RestrictionsFolsom, CA, Municipal Code § 12.16.190(A)
A. Street Tree Planting. Each applicant for a building permit for new construction of residential or commercial structures on parcels without existing street trees ... shall be responsible for the planting of street trees, unless waived by the city arborist due to physical site constraints of the parcel. ... There shall be at least one street tree for each single-family and two-family lot, e...
Looking for Sacramento County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Folsom city rules.
Tree Protection in Sacramento County →