Corona, CA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Corona Municipal Code Ch. 12.22
- Designation authority
- City Council, per Urban Forest Management Plan
- Removal approval
- City Council approval required
- Emergency exception
- Actual/potential danger to persons or property
- Enforcement
- Chapter 1.08 code enforcement
- Enacted by
- Ordinance 3328 (2021)
Summary
Corona designates Heritage trees on city or private property through the Urban Forest Management Plan, and once designated a Heritage tree can only be permanently removed after the City Council itself approves the removal.
(A) The city may recommend as a Heritage tree any tree on city or private property meeting certain criteria, as specified within the Urban Forest Management Plan and approved by the Council. (B) Except for emergency situations involving potential or actual damage to persons or property, as determined by the city and further specified in the Urban Forest Management Plan, heritage trees shall be permanently removed only after approval of the City Council. (C) In the Urban Forest Management Plan, the City Council may also impose reasonable conditions on the Heritage trees, such as: (1) A maintenance and care program for the purpose of preserving the health of Heritage trees. (2) Criteria governing the relocation and/or permanent removal of Heritage trees. (3) On-site or off-site replacement of removed Heritage trees, including a replacement ratio deemed reasonable by the City Council. (4) Other conditions deemed reasonable by the City Council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-56: Supplement contains: Local legislation passed through Ord. 3423, passed 12-3-2025).
Full Breakdown
22 (Community Urban Forest and Landscape Guidelines), lets the city recommend any tree on city or private property as a Heritage tree if it meets criteria set out in the Urban Forest Management Plan, subject to City Council approval of the designation. 080(B) bars permanent removal except after City Council approval, with a narrow carve-out for emergency situations involving actual or potential damage to persons or property, as determined by the city and further defined in the Plan. 080(C) authorizes the Council to attach conditions through the Plan, including a maintenance and care program to preserve the tree's health, criteria governing relocation or permanent removal, on-site or off-site replacement of any removed Heritage tree (including a replacement ratio the Council deems reasonable), and other conditions the Council finds reasonable.
The designation and removal process sits inside the broader chapter enacted by Ordinance 3328 in 2021, which also assigns jurisdiction over city trees, shared-responsibility trees in parkways, and construction-related tree protection to the Community Services Director. 22's enforcement provisions.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 12.22, including unauthorized removal of a designated Heritage tree, are enforced under Chapter 1.08 of the Corona Municipal Code (§ 12.22.090(A)). Section 12.22.090(B) separately preserves the City Attorney's authority to bring a civil or criminal proceeding under other applicable law, including abating the removal as a public nuisance under Chapter 1.08, so a property owner who removes a Heritage tree without Council approval faces code enforcement citation exposure plus potential nuisance-abatement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove a tree on my own property in Corona if it has been designated a Heritage tree?
Who decides which trees in Corona become Heritage trees?
What happens if I remove a Heritage tree without City Council approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corona
California rules heatmap·Compare Corona to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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