Tree removal permit rules in Yolo County, CA — sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances — list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Unincorporated Yolo County does not maintain a comprehensive 'heritage tree' permit ordinance comparable to that of the cities, but native oak removal and agricultural tree work are addressed through the General Plan's oak woodland conservation policies and through specific Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review for development projects. The cities of Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento operate their own tree-protection ordinances. Statewide street-tree rules under Streets & Highways Code Sec. 22500 may also apply.
Yolo County does not currently have a stand-alone tree-removal-permit ordinance for private property in the unincorporated area. Tree removal is regulated indirectly through three principal channels. (1) Native oak woodland conservation: under California Public Resources Code Sec. 21083.4, projects that would convert oak woodland must analyze the impact under CEQA, and Yolo County's General Plan Conservation Element includes oak woodland conservation policies. Developers proposing to remove substantial blue oak, valley oak, or interior live oak stands are typically required to mitigate through preservation, replanting, or in-lieu fees. (2) Permitted-project conditions: tree removal that is part of a project requiring a building permit, grading permit, Use Permit, or subdivision approval will be addressed in the conditions of approval, which can require replacement plantings, fencing during construction, and post-construction inspections. (3) City ordinances within Davis (Sec. 37 of the Davis Municipal Code - Trees), Woodland, West Sacramento, and Winters apply within those city limits and require permits for removal of heritage and street trees. Outside those cities, the more permissive rule generally applies to single trees on a residential parcel that isn't otherwise being developed.
Removing trees as part of a permitted project without authorization can trigger stop-work orders, replacement requirements (typically a multiplier of 3:1 to 10:1 for oak woodland), monetary penalties, and CEQA-mitigation enforcement. Within Yolo County cities, unpermitted removal of a protected tree carries administrative fines under the relevant city ordinance. Removal of trees in a stream corridor or wetlands area can also trigger CDFW Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreement (LSAA) violations under Fish & Game Code Sec. 1602.
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See how Yolo County's tree removal & heritage trees rules stack up against other locations.
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