Fremont, CA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

215 defines "native tree" to mean specific species native to the San Francisco Bay area: "oak, redwood, buckeye, madrone, sycamore, big-leaf maple, red-bud, and bay" (Sec. 030). Those species, along with any "tree of exceptional adaptability to the Fremont area" (a list that includes Fremont cottonwood, California pepper, European olive, black walnut, and Deodar cedar), trigger permit requirements at a diameter-at-breast-height (DBH) of just 10 inches or more, while non-native trees are otherwise only protected at 18 inches DBH or more (Sec. 050(a)(3)-(4)). The landscape architect administers the permit program and must approve removal, damage, or relocation of any protected tree before work occurs; an application posted on the property must remain visible from the street during the work (Sec.

040(a)). Applications to remove a protected native or exceptional-adaptability tree require an arborist's report where the landscape architect deems it necessary, and mitigation for authorized removal is a 24-inch box replacement tree (or a 15-gallon tree for single-family homes), or an in-lieu fee tied to the city's bid cost for planting a 24-inch box tree (Sec. 080(a)(1)). A handful of exemptions apply regardless of species, including container trees, commercial fruit or nut trees other than black walnut or olive, and emergency removals after storm or earthquake damage (Sec. 050(c)).