9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Tuolumne County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Tuolumne County regulates hazardous vegetation under Ordinance Code Chapter 8.14 (Hazardous Vegetation Management). Property owners must maintain defensible space of 100 feet around structures, including keeping grass and weeds short near buildings per PRC §4291.
Tree trimming in unincorporated Tuolumne County is essential for fire safety. Property owners must trim tree branches to at least 6 feet from ground level and maintain 10 feet spacing between canopies and from chimneys/roofs per defensible space requirements.
California Public Resources Code § 4291 (defensible space — vegetation management around structures)
99] ( Chapter 3 added by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1144. ) 4291. (a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph ...
Tuolumne County does not have a heritage tree ordinance but requires tree management under Chapter 8.14 (Hazardous Vegetation Management). Dead tree removal is mandated for fire safety. The Tuolumne Fire Safe Council offers free defensible space assistance to qualifying residents.
Tuolumne County adopted a Hazardous Vegetation Ordinance requiring vegetation maintenance on both developed and vacant parcels. CAL FIRE handles weed and brush complaints in the State Responsibility Area, which covers most of the county.
California Food and Agricultural Code § 5004 (definition of "noxious weed" for plant quarantine and pest control)
California Code, FAC 5004. skip to content home accessibility FAQ feedback sitemap login x Quick Search: Bill Number Bill Keyword Home Bill Information California Law Publications Other Resources My Subscriptions My Favorites California Law >> >> Code Section Code Section Code: Select Code CONS BPC CIV CCP COM CORP EDC ELEC EVID FAM FIN FGC FAC GOV HNC HSC INS LAB MVC PEN PROB PCC PRC PUC RTC S...
Water restrictions in unincorporated Tuolumne County follow the Tuolumne Utilities District rules and California's MWELO. Seasonal watering restrictions may be imposed during drought conditions. The county cannot prohibit drought-tolerant landscaping.
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in California. AB 1750 (2012) explicitly allows residential rainwater collection systems. Tuolumne County does not require permits for standard rain barrel installations.
California AB 1750 - Rainwater Capture Act of 2012
This bill would enact the Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, which would provide that use of rainwater collected from rooftops does not require a water right permit from the state board. (2) Existing law, the Contractors’ State License Law, creates the Contractors’ State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs and provides for the licensing and regulation of contractors. Existing la...
Tuolumne County does not mandate native plant landscaping for existing properties. California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) applies to new development projects with over 500 sq ft of landscaping, encouraging drought-tolerant and native species.
California Department of Water Resources — Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) (Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, Gov. Code § 65591 et seq.)
by the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) . The MWELO is also referenced by Title 24, Part 11, Chapters 4 and 5 CalGreen Building Code. All local agencies must adopt, implement, and enforce the MWELO or a local Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) that is at least as effective as the MWELO. Usually, local agencies that adopt WELOs create a more stringent ordinance than MWEL...
Tuolumne County does not regulate or restrict artificial turf installation on residential properties. The county's water-conscious Sierra foothill climate makes synthetic turf a practical option, though it is less common than in Southern California.
California Civil Code § 4735 (common interest developments — HOAs may not prohibit low water-using plants, artificial turf, or compliance with water-efficient landscape ordinances)
rticle 1 added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 180, Sec. 2. ) 4735. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a provision of the governing documents or architectural or landscaping guidelines or policies shall be void and unenforceable if it does any of the following: (1) Prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group or as a replacement of exis...
Backyard composting is permitted and encouraged in Tuolumne County. SB 1383 requires organic waste diversion statewide. Composting must not create nuisance conditions such as odor or pest attraction.
California SB 1383 (2015-2016) - Short-lived climate pollutants: organic waste
(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to approve a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The state board is also re...
1 cities in Tuolumne County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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