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

In unincorporated Madera County, an ordinary homeowner removing a tree on their own developed lot is not subject to a stand-alone, numbered tree-removal permit ordinance in the County Code. The County's protection of trees—particularly native oaks in the Sierra foothills—operates mainly at the planning and environmental-review level rather than through a routine per-tree permit. Oak woodlands and other biological resources are addressed by the Madera County General Plan's agricultural and natural-resource policies and reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which the County implements through its Environmental Impact provisions in Madera County Code Title 16. When a discretionary project (such as a subdivision, grading permit, or new development) would remove oak woodland or significant trees, CEQA review can require the County to evaluate impacts and impose mitigation—conservation easements, replacement plantings, or in-lieu measures—under California Public Resources Code Section 21083.4, the state oak-woodlands conservation statute that applies to county project approvals. For a single tree on an existing homesite outside any project approval, no County permit is typically required. Because rules are tied to the specific zoning, project conditions, and any recorded easements on a parcel, owners planning to clear native oaks or large numbers of trees should confirm requirements with Madera County Planning before removal, and remember that vegetation clearing can still implicate grading, erosion, and fire-clearance rules.