Plumas County, CA Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

Most tree removal in unincorporated Plumas County does not require a dedicated county tree permit. The county has no published heritage-tree or street-tree ordinance imposing a removal-permit scheme on ordinary residential parcels, so homeowners can generally remove yard trees without a county tree permit, subject to zoning and any HOA rules. The clearest permitting regime applies to timberland. Land zoned Timberland Production Zone (TPZ) under Title 9, Chapter 2, Article 32 is reserved for the growing and harvesting of timber, and commercial timber operations on TPZ and other timberland are regulated by the California Forest Practice Act, which requires a Timber Harvest Plan (THP) or a qualifying exemption prepared by or under a Registered Professional Forester and reviewed by CAL FIRE — not a county-issued tree permit. TPZ parcels also carry strict land-division rules, generally not divisible into parcels smaller than 40 acres. When tree removal is part of a project that requires a building or special use permit, the Planning Department reviews tree impacts during that process, and replacement landscaping may trigger the Water Efficient Landscape ordinance (Article 42). Removal of dead, diseased, or fire-prone trees within the 100-foot defensible space around structures is encouraged under California Public Resources Code 4291. Confirm your parcel's zoning before any large-scale removal.