Tree Protection in San Benito County, CA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated San Benito County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Heritage & Protected Trees
Unincorporated San Benito County gives extra protection to 'trees of special protection', heritage trees 36 inches or more in trunk diameter and Board-designated landmark trees, exempting them from the county's routine one-tree-per-five-years removal allowance.
Heritage Tree Rules in San Benito County
Significant RestrictionsSan Benito County Code § 25.09.002 (Trees of Special Protection); § 25.07.018(E)(1)
TREES OF SPECIAL PROTECTION. Shall include any of the following: (1) HERITAGE TREES. Any tree, regardless of species, which has a trunk diameter of 36 inches or greater measured four and one-half feet above the ground; ... and/or (d) A LANDMARK TREE. Any tree or grove of trees, or type of tree, designated by resolution of the Board of Supervisors to be of historical or cultural value, an outsta...
Protected Tree Species
Unincorporated San Benito County designates 'trees of special protection', including any 36-inch-or-greater heritage tree, that need a removal permit and written findings in R-1 and RM zones, with no automatic exemption.
Protected Trees in Unincorporated San Benito County
Significant RestrictionsSan Benito County Code § 25.09.002
TREES OF SPECIAL PROTECTION. Shall include any of the following: (1) HERITAGE TREES. Any tree, regardless of species, which has a trunk diameter of 36 inches or greater measured four and one-half feet above the ground; ... (d) A LANDMARK TREE. Any tree or grove of trees, or type of tree, designated by resolution of the Board of Supervisors to be of historical or cultural value, an outstanding s...
Parkway Planting
New multi-family developments in unincorporated San Benito County must plant one tree for every 20 feet of landscaped parkway strip between the right-of-way and the building, set 4 to 10 feet back from the sidewalk.
San Benito County Multi-Family Street Tree Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Benito County Code § 25.08.005(F)(2)
Within the landscaped area between the right-of-way and buildings, trees shall be planted at a rate of one for each 20 feet of landscaped area. Trees shall be located between four and ten feet from the back of the sidewalk. The landscaped area shall also include shrubs, ground covers, and other natural growth, or stormwater quality features and drainage treatments. (3) All planting area...
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