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

Hemet draws a line between private trees and public street trees. A healthy tree growing wholly on private land, outside any easement, is generally the property owner's responsibility and can be removed by the owner, subject to nuisance, view, and any applicable zoning-permit conditions tied to a development. Trees located in the public parkway (the strip between curb and sidewalk) and elsewhere in the right-of-way are part of the city's managed urban forest under Hemet Municipal Code Chapter 66, Article IV (Care and Maintenance of Street Trees) and the city's long-standing Tree City USA program, which requires a community tree ordinance. Because those trees are city assets, residents should not remove, top, or significantly damage them without first contacting Public Works/Parks at (951) 765-2300. The City typically evaluates dead, diseased, or hazardous public trees and arranges removal and replacement itself, planting drought-tolerant shade species. For development sites, trees may also be protected by conditions of approval or landscape plans tied to the zoning entitlement, so removing landscaping installed as a permit condition can require planning review. We could not retrieve the verbatim Article IV text from the codifier, so any specific removal-permit threshold should be confirmed with Public Works before work begins.