In Butte County's State Responsibility Area and any Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, California Public Resources Code section 4291 requires property owners to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around every structure, remove any portion of a tree within 10 feet of a chimney or stovepipe outlet, and keep trees and shrubs adjacent to buildings clear of dead or dying wood. The County has not adopted a separate municipal tree-removal permit ordinance for private residential parcels.
Most of unincorporated Butte County's foothill and mountain area - including Cohasset, Forest Ranch, Concow, Yankee Hill, Berry Creek, the Upper Ridge communities, Forbestown, and the rebuilt Camp Fire footprint - is mapped by CAL FIRE as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone in a State Responsibility Area (SRA). Under California Public Resources Code section 4291(a), property owners in SRAs must (1) maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of every structure (but not beyond the property line), (2) remove any portion of a tree that extends within 10 feet of the outlet of a chimney or stovepipe, (3) maintain trees, shrubs, and other plants adjacent to or overhanging a building free of dead or dying wood, and (4) keep roofs free of leaves, needles, and other vegetative materials. Government Code section 51182 applies the same 100-foot rule in Local Responsibility Area Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Within the 100-foot zone, more intensive fuel reduction is required between 5 and 30 feet, and a 'Zone 0' ember-resistant zone exists within 5 feet of the structure. The Butte County Health & Safety Element confirms that 'Regulations regarding fire-safe vegetation clearance and maintenance around structures, including non-conforming development, and infrastructure, including along driveways and private roads, shall be maintained and enforced' (Policy HS-P9.2). Butte County does not have a county-wide ordinance requiring a permit to remove an individual tree on a private residential parcel - tree-removal regulation in the unincorporated area runs through (a) state defensible-space law, (b) state oak-woodland and timber-conversion law administered by CAL FIRE, and (c) Zoning Ordinance review for development projects.
PRC 4291 is enforced by CAL FIRE / Butte County Fire Department (a CAL FIRE-contract unit). A first violation is an infraction punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500; a second violation within five years is up to $500; a third or later violation within five years is up to $1,000 (PRC 4291(g)). CAL FIRE may also abate the hazard and recover costs. In Local-Responsibility VHFHSZ, GC 51182 provides parallel enforcement through the local fire authority. Failure to maintain defensible space can also bar issuance of certificates of occupancy for new construction or major rebuilds.
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Butte County, CA
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Butte County, CA
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See how Butte County's tree trimming rules stack up against other locations.
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