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

Lynwood Municipal Code § 13-2.2(g) defines a landmark tree as one designated under § 13-2.10 because it is among the largest or oldest of its species in the city, has historical significance tied to a building, site, street, person or event, or is a defining feature of a neighborhood. Under § 13-2.10, any person or city agency can propose to the public safety, traffic and parking commission that a tree meeting these criteria be designated a landmark tree, and once designated, the tree is protected wherever it stands in the city, unlike native and specimen trees, which are protected only in yards of residential zones and other zoning districts.

Section 13-2.15(a) makes it a prohibited act to prune a landmark tree at all, or to remove one without a permit, and a property owner who wants to prune a landmark tree must apply to the city engineer on a city form to ensure the work follows current International Society of Arboriculture standards (§ 13-2.11). A permit to injure or remove a landmark tree cannot be denied if the city engineer finds a public safety benefit outweighing preservation, the tree is unlikely to survive, an objective feature makes it unsuitable for protection, denial would cause substantial hardship, or the replacement landscape plan yields a larger tree canopy; for removal specifically, procedures for landmark tree removal must also be specified (§ 13-2.11(a)).