Alameda, CA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)

The Alameda Municipal Code folds tree preservation into its historic preservation chapter rather than a stand-alone tree ordinance. 2 defines "Historical Monument" to expressly include "any site, including significant trees or other plant life located thereon," alongside buildings and structures of particular historic significance. 5(a) locks in protection: no site, including its trees or plantings, may be demolished, removed or altered without first referring the matter to the Historical Advisory Board for a certificate of approval. The Building Official may only bypass the Board when removal is immediately necessary for public health or safety, and must then notify the Board in writing within two days.

5(b), the Board decides whether to issue a certificate of approval for removal based on whether the site to which a designated resource would be relocated has appropriate context, and must act within 180 days of a complete application. A denied or granted certificate can be appealed to the City Council within ten days; the Council may reverse the Board only on evidence that the resource cannot earn an economic return on its value. Certificates of approval are valid for three years. Applications route through the Planning and Building Department. 7(c) protects automatically without requiring an individual Historical Monument designation first.