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

Unincorporated Mariposa County does not have a standalone tree-removal permit ordinance for everyday removal of trees on private land. Instead, native trees are protected at the policy level: the General Plan Conservation and Open Space Element, Policy 11-4a, directs the County to conserve the diversity of native ecosystems and plant communities, and Implementation Measure 11-4a(2) provides that site development and grading review should minimize the removal of native trees and groves of trees. This means tree removal is most likely to be scrutinized when it is part of a development application, grading permit, or subdivision rather than as a one-off homeowner action. Where a project triggers CEQA, removal of significant native vegetation, including oak woodland, can require biological review and mitigation. Outside of development, the County's main concern is wildfire: under California Public Resources Code Section 4291, owners in the State Responsibility Area (all of Mariposa County) must maintain defensible space, and Public Works coordinates with CAL FIRE on hazardous and dead-tree (tree-mortality) removal along county roads. There is no dedicated oak-mitigation fee schedule comparable to some neighboring counties. Property owners removing dead or hazardous trees for fire safety generally do not need a county permit, but should confirm setbacks and any project-specific conditions with the Planning Department.