Folsom, CA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Heritage tree threshold
- 30-inch DSH (50-inch if multitrunked)
- Landmark designation body
- City council, by resolution
- Designation criteria
- Historical value, habitat, rarity, or beauty
- Owner notice
- First-class mail 30 days before hearing
- Declassification required
- Before any landmark tree removal
- Heritage root zone
- 1.5-ft radius per inch of DSH
Summary
Folsom automatically classifies a tree as a heritage tree once it reaches 30 inches DSH (or 50 inches combined for multitrunked trees) on the city's master tree list, while a separate tree can be formally named a landmark tree by city council resolution under Section 12.16.170 for its historical, habitat, rarity, or beauty value.
“Heritage tree” means, except for trees listed as “not eligible for heritage status” on the city’s master tree list, a tree on the city’s master tree list over thirty inches in DSH or a multitrunked tree on the master tree list having a combined DSH of fifty inches or more. ... 2. Designation of Landmark Trees. In order to designate a tree as a landmark tree, the city council shall find that the tree is in good health and is a significant community benefit because it possesses one or more of the following attributes: a. Historical value. b. Outstanding habitat value. c. Unusual species. d. Superior beauty.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1369, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020 defines a heritage tree as any tree on the city's master tree list over thirty inches in DSH, or fifty inches combined DSH for a multitrunked tree, unless the master list marks that species not eligible for heritage status. Heritage trees get extra root protection, with a critical root zone radius of one and one-half feet per inch of DSH instead of the standard one foot. 170. Anyone can apply to the community development department, or the council can act on its own motion, and the council must find the tree is in good health and confers a significant community benefit through historical value, outstanding habitat value, unusual species, or superior beauty.
If the applicant is not the owner, the city must mail notice thirty days before the hearing and the owner must confirm support in writing. Once designated, the city clerk mails the owner a copy of the resolution and the city arborist adds the tree to the landmark list, and the community development department maps its location. 170(D), finding the tree has deteriorated in health, lost habitat value, or now prevents reasonable use of the property, before any removal permit can proceed under the chapter's mitigation rules.
Violations & Fines
Damaging or removing a heritage or landmark tree without following this chapter is enforced the same way as any Chapter 12.16 violation: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, plus Level E administrative sanctions under Section 12.16.220. Because a landmark tree cannot lawfully be removed until the city council declassifies it under Section 12.16.170(D), skipping declassification blocks even an otherwise-qualifying removal permit under Section 12.16.150(A)(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a tree a 'heritage tree' in Folsom?
How does a tree become an official Folsom landmark tree?
Can a landmark tree ever be removed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Folsom
California rules heatmap·Compare Folsom to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Heritage & Protected Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle heritage & protected trees.