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

Monterey's tree ordinance does not limit protection to a short list of named species; § 37-2(K) defines 'Protected Tree' by size and parcel status alone, sweeping in whatever species meets the threshold. A tree on a vacant private parcel is protected once it exceeds 2 inches in diameter measured at a point 4'6" above the tree's natural grade; a tree on a developed private parcel, one already occupied by a principal building, is protected once it exceeds 6 inches at the same measurement point. That size-based definition is what triggers the removal permit requirement in § 37-8 and the exemptions in § 37-9, which specifically excludes 'trees not defined as a protected tree in Section 37-2' from needing a permit at all.

Chapter 37 does single out particular species for a higher tier of protection, oak trees, conifers, and non-native ornamentals, but only in the separate 'Local Landmark Tree' designation under § 37-12, which layers extra size, height and visibility criteria on top of the baseline protected-tree definition and requires an affirmative Planning Commission designation before those protections attach. Absent that landmark designation, the species of a tree is irrelevant to whether Chapter 37 protects it; only its trunk diameter and whether the parcel is developed or vacant matter.

The definitions section also covers related terms used throughout the chapter, including 'dripline' (the tree canopy's outer edge, or 15 times trunk diameter measured at 4'6") and 'irreparable damage,' which lists cutting, topping, girdling, poisoning, trenching within the dripline, and paving over more than 50 percent of the dripline as prohibited harms to a protected tree.