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

In unincorporated Plumas County, whether you need approval to remove a tree depends largely on the land's zoning. Most residential parcels are not subject to a county heritage-tree or removal-permit ordinance, so removing yard trees is generally allowed, subject to building setback and any HOA rules. On land zoned Timberland Production Zone (TPZ) under Title 9, Chapter 2, Article 32, the permitted use is the growing and harvesting of timber, including Christmas trees, and measures to protect such timber; commercial timber operations on TPZ and other timberland are regulated by the California Forest Practice Act and require a Timber Harvest Plan or applicable exemption administered through CAL FIRE, not a county tree permit. The county does encourage hazardous and fire-prone tree removal: California Public Resources Code 4291 treats trees as part of the fuel that must be managed within the 100-foot defensible space around structures, and dead, diseased, or ladder-fuel trees near homes are routinely removed under defensible space programs. Removal of trees as part of a permitted building or special use project may be reviewed during planning and may trigger the water efficient landscape ordinance (Article 42) for replacement landscaping. Confirm your parcel's zoning with the Plumas County Planning Department before any large-scale clearing.