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

Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 16.34 (Significant Trees Protection) regulates tree removal in the County's Coastal Zone, which extends roughly five miles inland from the Pacific along the North Coast and inland along Highway 1 corridors. Within the Urban Services Line or Rural Services Line, a 'significant tree' is any tree at least 20 inches d.b.h. (diameter at breast height - about 5 feet circumference), any sprout clump of five or more stems each over 12 inches d.b.h., or any group of five or more trees on one parcel each over 12 inches d.b.h. No person may remove, cut down, trim more than one-third of the green foliage, poison, or otherwise kill a significant tree in the Coastal Zone without a Significant Tree Removal Approval under SCCC Chapter 18.10 (Level II permit). Acceptable grounds include necessity to protect health/safety/welfare, restoration of native vegetation per a County-approved plan, and removal that will not degrade scenic resources or trigger adverse environmental impacts. Outside the Coastal Zone, tree removal is regulated indirectly via riparian setbacks (Chapter 16.30), CEQA, and Habitat Protection (Chapter 16.32). Coastal redwoods, oaks, and bays are common protected species.