Hesperia Municipal Code Chapter 16.24 (Protected Plants) regulates removal of native desert vegetation, including the Western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), which is also protected statewide under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (2023, Fish and Game Code §1927 et seq.). You may not remove, trim, damage, move, or kill a Western Joshua tree without a take permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Non-protected ornamental trees on private residential lots generally do not require a city permit, but any tree on a parcel undergoing discretionary development review is subject to a Protected Plant Preservation Plan and a Protected Plant bond submitted prior to ground disturbance.
Hesperia is in the High Desert of San Bernardino County, where Joshua trees and other native plants are heavily protected. Under Hesperia Municipal Code §16.24 (Protected Plants), the City references the Joshua tree as an important native species. The City of Hesperia Planning Division administers Protected Plant Preservation Plans for residential tracts, multi-family, commercial, and industrial development. State law (Fish & Game Code §§1927–1927.6) requires a CDFW Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for development that removes Western Joshua trees and a free Hazard Management Permit to remove a dead tree or trim limbs posing a safety threat. For non-protected ornamental trees on an existing single-family lot, no Hesperia tree-removal permit is generally required unless removal affects a parkway, easement, or development conditions of approval.
Removing or damaging a Western Joshua tree without a CDFW permit is a violation of California Fish and Game Code §1927 and can trigger civil penalties under Fish & Game Code §12000. Disturbing protected native plants during development without an approved Hesperia Protected Plant Preservation Plan can result in stop-work orders and forfeiture of the Protected Plant bond.
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