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

Merced County's Unified Development Ordinance (Title 18) does not establish a heritage-tree or oak-tree removal permit program of the kind found in some coastal or foothill California counties. For an ordinary homeowner, removing a tree on your own lot generally does not require a County tree permit. The enforceable rule that does apply is in UDO Section 18.36.050(H)(4): if a street tree (required in M-H, R-1, R-1-5000 and R-2 subdivisions) is removed, it must be replaced with another street tree. Beyond that, tree and native-vegetation impacts are addressed at the project/planning level rather than by a removal-permit counter. The 2030 Merced County General Plan Conservation/Natural Resources policies identify oak woodland and other sensitive habitats, and removal associated with discretionary development can require environmental review and mitigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Trees in the public right-of-way are controlled by Public Works, not the homeowner. Because the County relies on CEQA and General Plan policy rather than a standalone ordinance, anyone clearing a large stand of native trees, working in mapped habitat, or doing tree work as part of a permitted development should confirm requirements with Merced County Planning before removal.