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

Oak trees in Visalia are governed by Chapter 12.24 of the Visalia Municipal Code (Oak Tree Preservation), originally adopted in 1971 and most recently amended on August 4, 2025 by Ordinance No. 2025-06. Section 12.24.030(A), as amended, now reads: 'Any person desiring to destroy or remove an oak tree with a trunk diameter of eighteen (18) inches or greater at a point 4.5 feet above the root crown (Also referred to as "18 inches Diameter Breast Height (D.B.H.)") on public property must first apply for and obtain a removal permit.' The 2025 amendment struck the words 'private or' so the removal permit now only applies to oaks on public property. Submission of an application requires no fee. Within 5 calendar days of receipt, the city manager (or designee) posts a public notice on the subject tree; within 14 calendar days, the city manager inspects and issues an intended written decision. Permits are issued only if one of three findings under Section 12.24.035 can be made based on substantial evidence, supported where necessary by a certified arborist's opinion. Mitigation requirements can be imposed and attach as a permit condition enforceable as a lien against the applicant's real property. Section 12.24.050 (Emergencies) allows immediate removal on the order of the city manager or any on-duty public-works or public-safety personnel when an oak presents a danger to life or property, and exempts state-PUC-regulated utilities from the permit requirement when maintaining safe facilities. Section 12.24.060 (Pruning Notice Required), as amended in 2025, requires any public agency that intends to prune an oak tree limb 10 inches or greater in diameter to file a completed Intent-to-Prune notice with the city manager before work starts; the notice must include the property owner contact, pruner contact, dates, tree description, proof of insurance (if in right-of-way), and proof of a valid Visalia business license. A copy of the notice must remain with the pruner during work. Section 12.24.100 allows low-income, owner-occupied property owners to seek City financial assistance for necessary oak pruning or removal when conditions in subsection (A)(1)-(3) are met. Note: the City's Valley Oak Ordinance page states that as of September 2025, private property owners no longer need permits for pruning or removal, but public-property oaks still do. This row covers tree removal generally; see the tree-trimming row for street-tree pruning under Chapter 12.20.