Tree removal permit rules in Sierra County, CA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Sierra County has no urban-style tree-removal permit for ordinary yard trees. Removing trees can trigger a grading permit if it disturbs over one acre of vegetation (or 10,000 sq ft on steep slopes) under SCC 12.08.070, and commercial timber harvest is governed by the state Forest Practice Act, not the County.
Sierra County does not have a heritage-tree or yard-tree removal-permit ordinance like many cities. Whether you need County approval depends on the scale and method of removal. Under the grading, erosion and sediment control ordinance (SCC Chapter 12.08), routine removal is exempt only within limits: SCC 12.08.070 exempts the removal, plowing under, or burial of less than one acre (43,560 square feet) of vegetation in a single area within a two-year period, or less than 10,000 square feet on slopes of 10 percent or greater. Clearing larger areas, or work that creates erodible slopes or affects watercourses, can require a grading permit and erosion-control measures. The ordinance also directs that natural features including vegetation, terrain and watercourses be protected and preserved wherever possible (SCC 12.08.590). Separately, commercial cutting and removal of timber on California's vast Sierra timberlands is regulated by the state - the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act and CAL FIRE/Board of Forestry timber-harvest-plan rules - not by a County tree ordinance. Tree removal that is part of defensible-space work near structures is encouraged under PRC 4291. Because rules turn on acreage, slope, watercourses, and scenic-corridor overlays, owners should confirm with the Sierra County Planning Department before large-scale clearing.
Clearing vegetation beyond the SCC 12.08.070 exemption thresholds without a grading permit, or grading that creates unstable/erodible slopes or impacts a watercourse, violates SCC Chapter 12.08 and can require restoration plus penalties. Commercial timber operations without a state timber harvest plan are enforced by CAL FIRE under the Forest Practice Act.
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See how Sierra County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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