The unincorporated County's Protected Tree Ordinance (Chapter 8.400, Ordinance 4895, 2024) requires a Protected Tree Removal Permit before removing protected trees, with replacement planting and a 3-year maintenance period. Exemptions cover dead trees, true emergencies, and specific fire-risk species near structures. A separate Coastal Zone exemption for hazardous trees runs through July 1, 2026.
Chapter 8.400 (Ordinance No. 4895, adopted October 22, 2024) consolidated the County's former Significant Tree and Heritage Tree ordinances. A Protected Tree Removal Permit, or a faster Expedited Tree Removal Permit, is required to remove any Protected Tree (Sections 8.400.060-8.400.070). Permit Exemptions (Section 8.400.100) include: timber-harvesting work; emergency removal of an imminent hazard to safety/property as determined by the Director of Planning and Building under Section 8.400.230; forest-health/fire-prevention Public Works projects approved by the Coastal Commission; defensible-space work in the SRA/LRA High or Very High Fire Hazard zone identified by CAL FIRE, the County Fire Marshal, or local fire authority; County Parks/Public Works/utility work; and removal/pruning of specific fire-risk taxa - eucalyptus, pines, acacia, tanoak, and California bay laurel - whose trunk is within 100 feet of a habitable structure (including on adjacent property) or within 30 feet of a road needed for emergency evacuation, but that fire-species exemption does not apply if the tree is 38 inches DSH or larger. Separately, the County extended a permit exemption for removing hazardous trees (eucalyptus, pines, acacia, tanoak, bay) in the Coastal Zone of the unincorporated County, in effect through July 1, 2026; redwoods, Douglas firs, true oaks (except tanoak), maples, and buckeyes still need a permit even if hazardous. Approved removals require replacement planting under Table 2 (Section 8.400.160), maintained three years. Indicative fees: about $670 (removal), $430 (expedited), with 1-2 month processing.
Removing a Protected Tree without a permit or a valid exemption is a code-enforcement violation that can require replanting/restoration, fines, and conditions imposed by Planning and Building. Replacement trees must be maintained for three years, with the period extended if a replacement dies or is removed.
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