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

Alpine County's only codified tree-trimming permit applies to the Kirkwood area. Section 12.16.020 (Ord. 491, 1988) states that no person, firm, or corporation 'shall destroy, remove, cut down, kill, damage, trim, prune or top any tree on any property, public or private, without a tree permit and authorization by an approving body' - and this even applies to public agencies and utilities. The approving body is the Kirkwood Meadows Association Planning Committee, the Kirkwood Association Planning and Architectural Committee, or the Tri County Technical Advisory Committee, per the flow chart referenced in Ordinance 491. Exemptions in 12.16.030 cover trees identified for removal in a land-use permit and trees a licensed arborist or forester has identified as dying, unhealthy, or hazardous (with prior fire-chief approval for emergencies). Trees not being cut must be protected during construction, and any tree damaged during work must be repaired with tree sealer and necessary tree surgery (12.16.110). Outside the Kirkwood area, the code does not impose a countywide tree-trimming permit; routine pruning is generally unregulated, though trimming for wildfire defensible space is encouraged under Chapter 8.20 and PRC 4291, and commercial timber operations fall under state CAL FIRE Forest Practice rules.