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

060(A) sets two replacement standards: on lots with a single-unit or duplex dwelling, the plan must replace one tree for each private protected tree removed; on any other lot, replacement must meet a 1-inch DSH-for-1-inch DSH ratio between what's removed and what's planted. 060(B): planting replacement trees on-site or off-site, monitored and maintained for a period the director sets, with security to guarantee survival through the minimum establishment period; paying an in-lieu fee set by council resolution into the city's tree planting and replacement fund; or taking replacement credit for preserving smaller existing trees on the same lot at a rate of one inch DSH per inch DSH preserved, with a two-inch minimum credit, if the director finds the preserved trees viable long-term.

060(C) fixes equivalent sizes for new plantings, a 15-gallon container or smaller counts as 1-inch DSH, a 24-inch box counts as 2-inch DSH, and a 36-inch box or larger counts as 3-inch DSH, and requires species to match what was removed or be director-acceptable with consideration for diversity, unless the planting is funded through the replacement fund. 060(E)). 060(F) can only be spent on planting and preservation programs, new planting locations, irrigation and drainage systems, and woodland creation, unless the city council directs otherwise. 050(B)(1)(b) or (c).