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

Sec. 130(a)(1) sets a presumptive standard for landmark designation: a DBH of 54 inches or greater, structure and character that exemplify the species or an extraordinary form, freedom from structural defects threatening injury or property damage, substantial aesthetic appeal, and at least a 50 percent probability of surviving five more years with that appeal. Trees that miss that bar can still qualify under Sec. 130(a)(2) for historic association, being a native or exceptional-adaptability species with special community significance, an especially prominent visual impact, or membership in a qualifying group of trees.

Trees designated in the general plan as primary historic resources are automatically landmark trees (Sec. 130(b)). Designation or de-designation is initiated by the landscape architect, the council, or the tree's owner; an owner seeking to remove landmark status must pay a council-set fee and cover inspection costs, while city-initiated or city-owned-tree proposals are free (Sec. 140). The council decides by resolution after a noticed public hearing under Sec. 020. Sec. 150 treats damaging or removing any landmark tree as at least a potentially substantial adverse environmental change unless the tree's five-year survival odds are below 50 percent or it has irreparably lost its aesthetic appeal, and authorization to remove one may only be given where preservation is infeasible or the tree meets the hazard/short-life-expectancy criteria of Sec. 070(a)(1) or (3).