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

Unlike some nearby Sacramento-metro cities (Folsom LMC 12.16, Rocklin Oak Tree Preservation Guidelines) that have dedicated 'heritage' or 'landmark' tree chapters, Lincoln's Municipal Code does not create a heritage-tree registry. Instead, the City's protection model is keyed to native oaks. Project applicants must submit an arborist report and a Native Oak Tree Inventory (see City of Lincoln Appendix F template referenced in business-and-development resources) identifying species, dbh, health, and dripline of every native oak on the site. Site design must avoid impacts to healthy oaks where feasible. Where avoidance is not possible, the project pays into the Oak Tree Mitigation Fund (Fund 2900), as reported in Lincoln's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. For projects subject to CEQA, Public Resources Code Section 21083.4 separately requires evaluation and mitigation of oak woodland conversion (Quercus species five inches dbh or greater that are not commercial timber species). Adjacent Placer County's Article 19.50 Woodland Conservation Ordinance applies the same five-inch dbh threshold to oaks in unincorporated areas.