Modoc County, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

The Modoc County Code contains no chapter requiring permits or setting standards for trimming privately owned trees, and the zoning code (Title 18) does not mention trees at all. Property owners may prune their own trees freely. Where trimming is actually required, it is driven by two sources outside a tree-specific ordinance. First, fire defensible space: under County Code Chapter 8.31 the county adopts the defensible-space requirements of California Public Resources Code 4291, which for structures in State Responsibility Areas calls for removing dead and overhanging branches, separating tree canopies, and keeping branches clear of chimneys as part of maintaining 100 feet of defensible space. Second, the Airport Hazard (AH) zone in Chapter 18.90 treats trees that penetrate airport approach surfaces as obstructions; Section 18.90.130 addresses nonconforming trees and structures near the airport. The county road code (Section 12.04.020) expressly exempts trees and agricultural crops from its prohibition on placing structures in the road right-of-way, so there is no county trimming mandate tied to that section. Trees disturbed during a development or subdivision project may trigger separate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.