Del Norte County, CA Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

Del Norte County does not run a city-style heritage- or street-tree permit program for the unincorporated area; whether a permit is needed to remove trees depends on location and scale. The most consequential trigger is coastal zoning. Title 21 (Coastal Zoning), which carries out the County's Local Coastal Program, defines 'development' in Section 21.04.195 to include 'the removal or harvesting of major vegetation other than for agricultural purposes,' so removing significant trees or stands inside the coastal zone is treated as development and can require a coastal development permit issued by the Planning Division, with extra scrutiny near riparian corridors, wetlands, and native wooded habitat identified as sensitive resources in the Coastal Element. For commercial timber harvesting on timberland, which is widespread in this redwood-and-timber county, the controlling authority is the statewide Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973, administered by CAL FIRE through approved Timber Harvesting Plans; Title 21 expressly excludes Forest Practice Act-compliant timber operations from its development definition, meaning the state THP process, not a county tree permit, governs logging. For an isolated single tree on a developed inland residential lot outside the coastal zone, no specific county tree-removal permit has been identified, though grading, building, or defensible-space rules may still apply. Always confirm with the Community Development Department Planning Division before removing large trees, especially in the coastal zone or near waterways.