Pleasanton, CA Tree Protection: Heritage & Protected Trees (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- PMC § 17.16.006, Definitions
- Who may nominate
- Property owner, or others with owner's written permission
- Oversight
- City Landscape Architecture Section
- Pruning standard
- Must consult city arborist
- Removal
- Subject to protected-tree permit under § 17.16.010
Summary
Pleasanton's tree code defines a heritage tree as one with special significance to the community due to history, size, species or unique quality, and lets the property owner, or someone else with the owner's written permission, nominate it, overseen by the Landscape Architecture Section.
"Heritage tree" means a tree that is considered irreplaceable. It may be any tree found on public or private property that has special significance to the community due to its history, size (circumference and/or height), species, or unique quality. The Landscape Architecture Section shall be responsible for overseeing the heritage tree program. A request for designation as a heritage tree must come from the owner of the property where the tree is growing, or if nominating someone else's tree, must have the property owner's written permission to nominate the tree.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4955754; v17 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
006 as "a tree that is considered irreplaceable. " The code assigns oversight of the heritage tree program to the city's Landscape Architecture Section. A designation request must come from the property owner where the tree grows; if someone wants to nominate a tree they do not own, they must first obtain the owner's written permission. For properties already under development review, either the property owner or the director may designate a tree as a heritage tree during that review process. 080 that applies to protected trees generally.
010 exposes the owner to the same removal-permit process and penalty structure as any other protected tree, layered on top of the heritage designation's added arborist-consultation requirement for pruning.
Violations & Fines
Pruning a heritage tree without consulting the city's arborist, as required by § 17.16.006, is enforced as a pruning-standards violation under § 17.16.010(B), which subjects noncompliant pruning to the penalties in § 17.16.110: a civil penalty of $100 per inch of trunk circumference or the tree's appraised value, whichever is greater.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a tree a 'heritage tree' in Pleasanton?
Can I nominate my neighbor's tree as a heritage tree?
Do heritage trees get extra protection when pruned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pleasanton
California rules heatmap·Compare Pleasanton to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Heritage & Protected Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle heritage & protected trees.