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

There is no broad Tuolumne County permit requirement for removing a typical, non-oak tree from private property. The County's protection focuses on native oaks through Chapter 9.24 of the Ordinance Code, 'Premature Removal of Native Oak Trees' (added by Ord. 2903 in 2008). The chapter is structured around land development: 'premature removal' means cutting native oaks meeting set criteria within the five years before applying for a discretionary land-development entitlement. The three triggering criteria (Section 9.24.030) are: (A) removal causing a 10% or greater average decrease in native oak canopy within an oak woodland; (B) removal of any old-growth oak, defined as a native oak 24 inches or greater diameter at breast height (dbh, measured 4.5 feet above ground); or (C) removal of any valley oak 5 inches or greater dbh. An 'oak woodland' is a stand of predominantly native California oak species with 10% or greater canopy cover over at least 2 acres. Section 9.24.040 exempts removals tied to a ministerial permit or approved discretionary entitlement, state-agency permits (Caltrans, Fish and Game), an approved timber harvest plan, health-and-safety removals approved by Community Development, an approved fire-hazard-reduction plan, agricultural-zone production, and approved silvicultural treatment. Where premature removal occurs, mitigation under the County's Biological Resources Conservation Handbook is required, and no permit or entitlement issues for the site until mitigation is implemented or financially secured. Enforcement is the duty of the Community Development Director (Section 9.24.100).