Santa Clara, CA Tree Protection: Protected Tree Species (2026)

Section 12.35.080(b) of the Santa Clara City Code sets a much lower protection threshold for nine specimen species than it sets for ordinary trees: any of the listed species is protected once its trunk hits twelve inches in diameter, measured fifty-four inches above natural grade, on private property. The list covers Aesculus californica (California buckeye), Acer macrophyllum (big leaf maple), Cedrus deodara (deodar cedar), Cedrus atlantica "Glauca" (blue Atlas cedar), Cinnamomum camphora (camphor tree), Platanus racemosa (western sycamore), five native oak species (coast live, valley, black, blue, and interior live oak), Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood), and Umbellularia californica (bay laurel). By contrast, § 12.35.080(d) protects any other private tree only once its trunk reaches thirty-eight inches in diameter, so the named species get roughly a third of that threshold.

Removing a listed specimen tree without a permit is unlawful under § 12.35.090(c)(1). The removal application goes to the Community Development Department and must include a site drawing, a written justification, an ISA-certified arborist's report, the owner's signature, photographs, and the permit fee, per § 12.35.090(c)(2); the Department has final review authority for these species (unlike heritage trees, which go to the City Council under § 12.35.090(c)(3)(A)). The Department may approve removal only after making one of the findings in § 12.35.090(c)(4), including irreversible disease, danger of falling, or a trunk within five feet of a residence or below-ground utility line. Approved removals can require replacement planting: 1:1 minimum 15-gallon on a single-family lot, or 2:1 at 24-inch box on multifamily, commercial, or industrial property, per § 12.35.090(c)(7). Any construction or grading near a protected specimen tree must also comply with the tree protection plan requirements of § 12.35.100(d), including fencing set no closer than the dripline.