Bakersfield, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)

Chapter 17.61 governs landscape standards for development projects reviewed by the planning director. Under § 17.61.050(B), trees voluntarily removed from an existing approved project must be replaced at the average size of what existed, capped at a 48-inch box container, and the replacement must happen within 120 days of removal. Replacement trees must match the species shown on the approved landscape plan or otherwise satisfy Chapter 17.61. The rule exempts removals necessary for public safety, to prevent property damage or liability, losses from acts of nature, unlawful acts by third parties, or compliance with other federal or state law.

Section 17.61.050(A) also requires that any replacement planting conform to the original landscape design intent and the state's Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance (MWELO). Failure to replace a removed tree as required is enforceable under § 17.61.050(C) through notices of violation, correction orders, citations, and any administrative remedy available under the Bakersfield Municipal Code or applicable state law: the section does not cap a penalty amount, leaving enforcement to the city's standard citation and abatement process under Chapter 1.40. This chapter applies to projects that went through planning review with an approved landscape plan (commercial, industrial and most multi-family developments); § 17.61.030(7) exempts residential projects of four units or fewer that are not part of a larger subdivision.

Property owners planning to remove an approved-plan tree should photograph the tree, document the qualifying exception if one applies, and coordinate replacement species/size with the planning division before work begins to avoid a correction order.