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

Buena Park does not operate a broad heritage-tree ordinance covering all private trees, but it tightly controls trees in the public right-of-way. Under Chapter 12.20, a person wishing to remove "any standing or growing trees or shrubbery or any ornament or improvement from a parkway adjacent to property owned or lawfully occupied by such persons" must apply in writing to the Director of Public Works, stating the reasons. The Director issues a permit only if the tree "constitutes a private nuisance, is not of the type or species designated for such street, or for other good cause shown." The permit prescribes how removal must be done and is "conditioned upon the fact that all expenses and costs shall be borne by the applicant." For trees entirely within a private single-family yard, removal is generally allowed without a parkway permit, though replacement landscaping must still meet maintenance standards and any required-landscaping minimums. Trees that are part of an approved development or commercial landscape plan may be protected by conditions of approval. The City's parkway program also bars planting replacement trees of damaging species (e.g., ficus, cypress).