San Joaquin County recognizes heritage native oaks (typically 24-inch+ DBH valley oaks, blue oaks, interior live oaks) under the Oak Woodlands Ordinance, with stricter protections and 5:1 to 10:1 mitigation. Removal requires Planning Commission approval absent an imminent-safety finding. The Delta riparian corridor hosts many heritage oaks subject to additional CEQA review.
San Joaquin County's Oak Woodlands Conservation Ordinance designates native oaks with a trunk diameter of 24 inches or greater at 4.5 feet above grade as heritage oaks, affording them enhanced protection. Removal of a heritage oak requires Planning Commission approval following a public hearing, an arborist-prepared Tree Protection and Removal Plan, CEQA environmental review (typically a Mitigated Negative Declaration or EIR for multiple trees), and mitigation at 5:1 to 10:1 (five to ten native oak seedlings or 15-gallon replacement trees per heritage oak removed) plus a 5-year maintenance bond. Construction adjacent to heritage oaks must respect the critical root zone (typically 1 foot of radius per 1 inch of DBH plus 5 feet), with tree protection fencing, no soil compaction, grade changes, or trenching within the root zone. Damage during construction — even accidental — triggers penalties, required remediation supervised by an arborist, and potential replacement obligations. Valley oak groves along the Mokelumne, Calaveras, and Stanislaus Rivers contain many heritage specimens. Stockton, Lodi, and other cities may have parallel heritage tree programs for urban trees.
Unauthorized heritage oak removal: $5,000–$25,000 per tree plus 5:1–10:1 replacement and lost-ecosystem-service fees. Construction damage: up to $10,000 per tree + arborist remediation costs. Willful violation: misdemeanor referral.
Tracy, CA
Tracy Municipal Code Chapter 5.08 (Animals) prohibits keeping any animal or bird that by frequent or long-continued loud noise disturbs the comfort or repose...
Tracy, CA
Tracy Municipal Code Chapter 4.12 restricts the operation of pile drivers, hammers, and heavy construction equipment to the hours before 10 PM. After-hours c...
Tracy, CA
Tracy Municipal Code Article 9 (§4.12.710-§4.12.800) sets sound-level limits at residential property lines by zone and bans motorized refrigeration units run...
Tracy, CA
Tracy Municipal Code Chapter 3.08 governs street parking. The 72-hour maximum parking rule applies to all vehicles. RVs and large commercial vehicles on city...
Tracy, CA
Tracy restricts commercial vehicles and semi-trucks from parking on residential streets except during active loading and unloading. TMC Chapter 3.08 governs ...
Tracy, CA
Tracy requires all parking areas, including driveways, to be paved with an approved surfacing material under TMC §10.08.3530. Parking on unpaved surfaces is ...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Joaquin County.
See how Tracy's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.